MANILA, Philippines – Admittedly with big shoes to fill, it looks like the three new and youthful San Miguel Beer additions in Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Noy Baclao and Rey Guevarra have their work cut out for them. While the same holds true for their counterparts (Dondon Hontiveros, Danny Seigle, Paul Artadi and Dorian Pena) over at Air21 during that celebrated trade, it looks like they have tons of work to do before they can easily make their mark in the PBA and to the San Miguel Beer fans.
After two games though, you have to give former Ateneo Blue Eagles Al-Hussaini and Baclao credit. Though they have made some rookie mistakes, they are what they were branded when they were still in the amateurs.
Al-Hussaini fills up the void of a youthful big-man in the middle while Baclao showed in their last game why he was a feared defender and a “Tapal King” during his UAAP and amateur stints.
But alas, the winning tradition is what counts for the millions of SMB fans and the three know the pressure bestowed upon them.
Through social media Twitter, Rabeh tweets for understanding from the fans of his new team. Rabeh pleads for acceptance which for sure is not going to come easy since the memory of that emotional trade is still in the minds of the heartbroken fans of the four players who are now with the Air21 Express.
Rabeh admits that the shoes of Hontiveros, Seigle, Pena and Artadi are quite big to fit into but given time, they too will have their share of followers that will love them in the same way that the Hontiveros, Seigle, Pena and Artadi had during their time.
San Miguel is thus far toting a 1-2 record and the last loss against the Alaska Aces was understandable with the familiarization period that the team is in.
David Young is indeed a gem of an import but just like Rabeh and company, the need to jell with the other stars on the SMB team is the current problem that they face.
With a shortened elimination round of nine games and four teams getting the boot, San Miguel still has a chance to make it to the next round.
And you know what is scary? Given that the three rookies and new import David Young have just played a couple of games, the law of averages are bound to smile on the fancied Beermen. As they say, there is nowhere else to go but up for a embattled PBA favorite.
Lastly, when we say up, it is not just for this conference but for the succeeding PBA conferences that this team will be in.
SMB may have dislodged old reliable faces in their family but with new blood from promising rookies, you can bet San Miguel will be reigning once more in the coming years.
