BARANGAY Ginebra coach Jong Uichico knows only too well that the road to the finals is littered with danger, especially because his team is going up against a talent-laden San Miguel Beer and a rookie coach who’s trying to make his mark in his debut season. The Gin Kings and the Beermen start their best-of-seven semifinal battle Wednesday, with the Beermen slightly favored to prevail.
Like most analysts and keen basketball observers, Uichico pointed out that the Beermen have the versatility and the personnel to fill all positions. This is why he’d like his Gin Kings to work hard if they want to reach the finals.
‘’Everyone knows how tough San Miguel is. They have a lot of talent and a lot of athleticism, so we would have to counter that by hustling and working hard on both ends,’’ said Uichico. ‘’Our defense should also be there all the time because their scorers can light it up anytime. We need to contain them for us to have a good chance.’’
Ceiling is another cause of concern for Uichico, who added that San Miguel Beer has the edge in size and length against his wards.
‘’Their size gives us problems most of the time, especially in the paint and in rebounding. Our bigs need to step up and we need to come up with something to neutralize their size.’’
The anticipated showdown between the long-time rivals is expected to be a blockbuster since a Ginebra-San Miguel duel is always one of the most awaited match-ups by PBA fans.
Their two elimination-round encounters couldn’t get any closer as the Beermen topped the Gin Kings by only a single point on both occasions.
San Miguel Beer escaped with a 69-68 win on Oct. 17 and followed it up with another thrilling 79-78 squeaker on Nov. 21.
Ginebra has been practicing hard the entire week to ensure that it is well prepared and ready come the start of the series.
Jeric Lopez, Manila Standard Today
