There is no doubt that Justin Brownlee of Barangay Ginebra is the gold standard among imports in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
Standing at 6-foot-7, Brownlee will have a massive disadvantage in the coming Commissioner’s Cup, where the height restriction among reinforcements has been lifted.
Bol Bol of TNT will be a major threat, not just because he is the 7-foot-3 son of basketball great Manute Bol, but because he is just a year removed from being a solid rotation player for the Phoenix Suns in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
In fact, Bol is so terrifying that the usually fearless Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao rang the warning bells, saying that deploying him in the PBA is like bringing a machine gun to a knife fight.
Well, TNT has a valid reason to pull out its big gun.
Last season, the Tropang 5G played with a sense of urgency, ruling the Commissioner’s Cup and the Governors’ Cup with Rondae Hollis-Jefferson as import to move a heartbeat away from winning a rare grand slam. But it didn’t happen as they bowed to San Miguel Beer in the season-ending Philippine Cup.
Now, with Hollis-Jefferson nursing a ruptured Achilles tendon, the Tropang 5G is smelling blood, and there’s no better way to satiate that hunger than by deploying the best available player in the market — Bol.
Also expected to be serious threats are Converge and guest team, the Macau Black Bears.
The FiberXers will be parading a super team with a lineup that is capable of winning the title.
Imagine this: Gilas Pilipinas standout Juan Gomez de Liaño and the returning Mikey Williams in the backcourt, Calvin Abueva at small forward, either Justin Arana or Justine Baltazar at the four spot, and seven-footer Kylor Kelley, a former NBA player, at center.
Of course, the Black Bears should also not be overlooked as well as they will parade a do-it-all import in Tony Mitchell with 7-foot-6 Sam Deguara as backup, reminding fans how the Bay Area Dragons dominated the league three years ago before losing to Brownlee and the Kings in a dramatic seven-game finals series.
With a field filled with landmines, does Brownlee still have what it takes to survive and lead the country’s most popular team to another title? Definitely yes.
Let’s be honest: the gas in Brownlee’s tank is starting to run low at 37 years old. He is no longer the same player he used to be when he led Ginebra to those unforgettable victories or when he single-handedly rallied Gilas Pilipinas past China in the semifinals of the 19th Asian Games. Times have truly changed.
But in a league where experience and familiarity are still a leverage, Brownlee will walk into the court with confidence. Yes, he may be small, but he has already proven that he is at his best when ranged against bigger, stronger reinforcements.
And while other imports are still struggling for form as they try to figure out the Filipino brand of game, here comes Brownlee playing like it’s just another day at the office.
Ginebra coach Tim Cone puts it nicely: “until they prove to us that they can beat Justin, then there is no reason for us to bring him out.”
That’s the spirit, Coach!