JUNE Mar Fajardo of San Miguel Beer fakes off Alaska’s Samigue Eman (left) and Cyrus Baguio in last night’s Game 7 for the Philippine Cup. The two teams were playing at press time. August dela cruz
Rain or Shine ditched plans to bring back the underachieving Wayne Chism and instead tapped a banger who is a solid defender in the paint in Richard Kadeem Jackson for the PBA Commissioner’s Cup that opens Tuesday.
The Elasto Painters signed up the 6-foot-9 former Syracuse stalwart in the US NCAA, who could be an intimidating force in the middle to complement Rain or Shine’s talented frontline.
Chism, one of the most sought imports last season, turned out to be a dud in his stint with the Painters.
His arrival is also expected to ease the rebounding load off undersized centers Beau Belga and JR Quinahan and the reedy 6-foot-7 Raymond Almazan as the Painters try to snap a title-less spell dating back to 2011.
Jamelle Cornley led the Painters to their last championship in the 2011 Governors’ Cup. He didn’t return and even had brushes with the law in the country the following year.
Rain or Shine has one of the most talented frontlines in the league led by former Rookies of the Year Paul Lee and Gabe Norwood and the hot-shooting national Jeff Chan.
The Painters bombed out of the Final Four of the Philippine Cup against Alaska because they have been finding it hard playing against teams with legitimate, reliable centers.
In the Philippine Cup semifinals, the Painters failed to contain 6-foot-7 Sonny Thoss of Alaska.
Jackson ended his collegiate career with Syracuse as the Big East Defensive Player of the Year in 2011, leading the league in rebounds, field goal percentage and blocked shots. He had 17 double-doubles that season but still went undrafted in the NBA rookie proceedings that year.
Meanwhile, Norman Black, the Meralco head coach, is still in the United States trying to sign an import that would fit the 6-foot-9 height limit after he and the Bolts were beaten out by Barangay Ginebra for the services of Michael Dunigan.
Purefoods, the defending champion, is also seeking to sign a bigger player after original pick Denzel Bowles, a former Best Import winner and PBA champion, was measured to be over the height limit.
After winning this tournament last year with James Mays, coach Tim Cone had initially thought of bringing back Bowles, a great follower of his Triangle Offense, only to be measured way above the limit in China two weeks ago.
The Star Hotshots will settle for Marqus Blakely in their first few games of the elimination round until Cone and his staff can sign someone who is bigger.