Alapag ‘big fan’ of Brickman: ‘One of the smartest point guards I’ve seen’

Photo from ASEAN Basketball League

STA. ROSA — San Miguel Alab Pilipinas may have pulled off the win, but coach Jimmy Alapag couldn’t help but be in awe of Mono Vampire guard Jason Brickman.

“I’ve been a big fan of Brickman for a long time,” he said of the Fil-American playmaker.

“This season, I’ve had an opportunity to see his game up close and I’m really really impressed. One of the smartest point guards I’ve seen in a long time. For somebody who doesn’t blow you away with athleticism and size, his basketball IQ is off the charts. If you let him pick you apart, he will.”

Brickman was one of the reasons why Mono Vampire stayed in the game despite its giant Sam Deguara being hobbled by foul trouble.

He finished with 15 points, eight rebounds, 14 assists and five steals, but wasn’t able to finish the game as he suffered from cramps at the 2:48 mark of the fourth quarter.

That was one of the breaks Alab got in the game en route to a 143-130 overtime victory on Sunday to take a 1-0 lead in the 2018 ASEAN Basketball League Finals.

Still, there’s no doubt in Alapag’s mind how good Brickman is, as he even likened him to an NBA legend.

“The first guy that comes to mind is John Stockton. Their build, again having been a point guard my entire career, watching the passes that he makes and seeing the type of seam that he throws them through, it’s a really, really small window and he gets the ball through there. It’s much different than some of the point guards that we’ve seen in the ABL, who are more athletic and might be a little be faster. He beats you with his ability to forward the ball and he throws it with accuracy,” he said.

Alapag can confidently say that if Brickman goes to the PBA, there’s no question that he can flourish among some of the region’s best players.

“Absolutely, without question, he’d be one of the best point guards in the PBA tomorrow,” he said, giving his stamp of approval to the 28-year-old guard.

But for now, Alapag must find ways to limit Brickman’s impact on the floor ahead of Game 2 on Wednesday.

“I’ll try to watch the tape and figure out how to try and limit him. His 14 assists accounted for easily 30 points. We have to do a much better job,” he said. “I’ve been a big fan of him but I’m gonna try not to big of a fan until this series is over.”