The San Miguel Beermen is the most successful franchise in the history of the PBA. The main factor for their dominance is JuneMar Fajardo. The Kraken has a tight stranglehold of the Most Valuable Player award just two years after he debuted. They just asserted that last February 1, winning yet another Philippine Cup.
SMB has dominated by building good teams around Fajardo, with the legendary Death 5. There are also notable imports like future naturalized player Bennie Boatwright and NBA first rounder Chris McCullough.
However, their recent imports have been great disappointments even after much hype. That’s why teams like the TNT Tropang 5G have overtaken them in recent title counts. With a resident import like Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, they formed a consistent chemistry that the Beermen’s talent simply could not match.
Why can’t SMB, despite its seemingly unlimited resources, parade a lackluster import lineup of late?
Credentials Over Fit
Since they had success with high-credentialed imports, it became a standard for them. Since they are used to having superior talent over their opponents with regards to their locals, they took the same strategy with their imports.
The Beermen are being criticized due to their brazen acquisitions from other teams. Players like Juami Tiongson, Jericho Cruz, and Jeron Teng were top scorers from their respective teams. Now, they just take turns with SMB, acting as “magic hugot” in moments when their actual starters have off-nights.
Getting high caliber-players is not a foolproof exercise. When they don’t pan out, SMB takes players like Don Trollano, who was also a top scorer, but not a prime draw as the others mentioned. Should they apply that in their import hunt? Relying on credentials and statistics is a rather lazy approach, and is actually a high risk maneuver for a loaded team like SMB.
Injury and Bad Luck
The Beermen took a player like Thomas Robinson, a 5th overall pick in the NBA, and didn’t get a single game from him. When this happens, somehow, fans of opposing teams see it as a bully getting their comeuppance.
The Beermen have also had bad luck when they tried to bring back their old reliables like Cameron Clark and Boatwright. Both coveted players have existing contracts at the start of the Commissioner’s Cup, placing SMB in a quandary. The problem is exacerbated with how the team responds to these situations.
Impatience and Lofty Standards
The 6’10 Marcus Lee is reportedly on his way out. He failed to make it even to the fourth quarter of his first game. He finished with only 4 points and 5 rebounds in 24 out of the 36 minutes of the first three quarters, with a horrible plus-minus of -25 against the neophyte Titan Ultra.
The Beermen brass will likely get a pass if they send him home with those numbers, but the team has been historically impatient. That’s the consequence of having the highest perceived payroll in the league (let’s continue to pretend that there is a salary cap). The higher-ups will demand results.
There are reports that agents of players abroad have caught wind of how SMB has a short leash, and they have found that unappealing, to say the least.
Less is More
Basketball is more complicated nowadays, and imports should not be as dominant anymore. However, even lower ranked teams get a huge boost with a seamlessly fitting import. Terrafirma is undefeated,
The Dyip’s import, Mubashar Ali, is not as decorated as Lee. He played in little known Southern University. In contrast, Lee is a “blue-blood” from the Kentucky Wildcats. Less credentials led to better performance.
Perhaps Ali’s experience made him more suited to play as a high-usage first option player as imports in the PBA should be. Lee looked unready, and panicked in double teams. The Beermen’s system of relying on match-up dominance, specifically with Fajardo, backfired.
The Beermen’s old school approach could not succeed against taller, more dynamic players and scrambling team defenses. Perhaps it’s time to admit that they need more effort in scouting and in-game coaching as their rivals have caught up to them.
