Patriots want it all; Beermen ready

Alexander: Taking his talents to AirAsia

The way things are going in the ASEAN Basketball League, don't be surprised if it starts capturing a bigger market among local basketball fans. With the way ex-PBA stars are starting to jump ship (John Ferriols and Roger Yap being the biggest so far) and teams tapping into known PBA imports.

Leading the pack are the AirAsia Philippine Patriots, backstopped by super import Anthony Johnson (Coca Cola, Santa Lucia) who pretty much is the designated "main man" on offense. He's paired with last season's ABL Best Import awardee Nakeia Miller, but that combo may have seen its last days with reports  of former Ginebra muscle Chris Alexander all set to take Miller's place for the Playoff-run.


Alexander would quickly make the Patriots the favorite, with no other center in the ABL right now being at par with him height and skill-wise. With the Patriots, they won't make the same claims that Ginebra did when they gave the 7"1 giant the boot-- saying that he wasn't scoring as much. No, they have Johnson for that. What Alexander does on offense will just be a bonus. It's on defense and rebounding where he'll solidify this team even more (they've been settling for a lot of perimeter work this season owing to a lack of a solid, back-to-the-basket big man).

But just as we've mentioned earlier, the Patriots' local rivals- the San Miguel Beermen, are also looking into making a big splash in its inaugural season even if it comes at its brown brother's expense.

Famous: On his way out?

Already featuring a superstar PBA B-team line-up with Froilan Baguion, Junjun Cabatu, RJ Rizada and Norman Gonzales among others, the Beermen opted to sign legit PBA starters John Ferriols (who was losing ground as a solid power forward in the PBA to younger, more athletic competition) and Roger Yap.

This acquisition alone helps make the Beermen even more formidable, with Yap ready to step in and play that SG role when needed and Ferriols always a force in the paint be it on offense or defense (a step or two slower than his MBA MVP prime, but still solid). Their imports, Dalron Johnson and Jarrid Famous aren't superstar caliber or in the same breath as the Patriots' Anthony Johnson and Alexander, but they are pretty solid. Plus, DJ stands 6"9 while playing at the wings with Famous at an ultra athletic 6"11.

But don't look now, rumors have it that the unceremonious sacking of NBA veteran Nick Fazekas by the PBA's Petron Blaze Boosters (despite a superb 45 points, 22 rebounds effort at one point) was all for the benefit of its ABL sister team.

If Fazekas were to be signed by the Beermen, then you are looking at a whole new ball game not only for the guys in red, but for its rivals-- the Patriots as well.

Now that the ABL features two legit teams that could compete in established leagues such as the PBA, it's starting to gain ground as another source of basketball entertainment and competition. With the steady rise of the Malaysia Dragons (coached by Pinoy Ariel Vanguardia) and other teams tapping into Pinoy and American talent, then yes, the ABL is surely worth your while.

Plus, this AirAsia-San Miguel rivalry is just starting.