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Arwind Santos backs SMB import McCullough as naturalized player

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Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2019/sports/07/25/20190725-chris-mccullough.jpg?ext=.jpg"/></figure></div><p>MANILA, Philippines -- San Miguel veteran Arwind Santos believes their import, Chris McCullough, is a good candidate for naturalization, although he has some reservations about his ability to defend bigger players in international competition.</p><p>The 25-year-old McCullough was a major factor in San Miguel&#x27;s triumph in the 2019 PBA Commissioner&#x27;s Cup. He replaced former Best Import Charles Rhodes midway through the season and helped the Beermen overcome the TNT KaTropa in the finals. </p><p>McCullough has made no secret of his desire to play for the Philippines as a <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/08/17/19/pba-chris-mccullough-determinadong-magpa-naturalize-lumaro-sa-gilas">naturalized player</a>, and the <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/01/06/20/gilas-ready-to-move-on-from-blatche-form-pool-of-naturalized-players">Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas</a> said he is in consideration for the pool that they are forming.</p><p>&quot;Pwede si Chris McCullough. Mabilis, running, rume-rebound, may shooting, may dribble. Pwede. Maasahan,&quot; Santos said of their import during an episode of &quot;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/2OT.ph/videos/707305260018530/">2OT</a>&quot; with Magoo Marjon and Carlo Pamintuan.</p><p>There can be no question about McCullough&#x27;s skills and talent, Santos noted. During his time with San Miguel, he proved that he can pile up the points, as evidenced by a 51-point explosion against Rain or Shine in the semifinals of the Commissioner&#x27;s Cup. </p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B_5dTs8FKpP/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12" style="background:#FFF;border:0;border-radius:3px;box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);margin:1px;max-width:540px;min-width:326px;padding:0;width:calc(100% - 2px)"><div style="padding:16px"><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;align-items:center"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;flex-grow:0;height:40px;margin-right:14px;width:40px"> </div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:1;justify-content:center"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;margin-bottom:6px;width:100px"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;width:60px"> </div></div></div><div style="padding:19% 0"> </div><div style="display:block;height:50px;margin:0 auto 12px;width:50px"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B_5dTs8FKpP/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="background:#FFFFFF;line-height:0;padding:0 0;text-align:center;text-decoration:none;width:100%" target="_blank"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd" stroke="none" stroke-width="1"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 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style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;height:12.5px;width:12.5px;transform:translateX(0px) translateY(7px)"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;height:12.5px;transform:rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px);width:12.5px;flex-grow:0;margin-right:14px;margin-left:2px"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;height:12.5px;width:12.5px;transform:translateX(9px) translateY(-18px)"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:8px"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;flex-grow:0;height:20px;width:20px"> </div><div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:2px solid transparent;border-left:6px solid #f4f4f4;border-bottom:2px solid transparent;transform:translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:auto"><div style="width:0px;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-right:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(16px)"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;flex-grow:0;height:12px;width:16px;transform:translateY(-4px)"> </div><div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-left:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(-4px) translateX(8px)"> </div></div></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:1;justify-content:center;margin-bottom:24px"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;margin-bottom:6px;width:224px"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;width:144px"> </div></div><p style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:17px;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:8px;overflow:hidden;padding:8px 0 7px;text-align:center;text-overflow:ellipsis;white-space:nowrap"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B_5dTs8FKpP/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:17px;text-decoration:none" target="_blank">A post shared by BRISK (@briskuno)</a> on <time dateTime="2020-05-07T19:06:53+00:00" style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:17px">May 7, 2020 at 12:06pm PDT</time></p></div></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>&quot;Shooting, outside, mabilis sa height niya,&quot; Santos said. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://sports.abs-cbn.com/boxing/news/2020/05/26/tito-ortiz-says-s-offered-fight-mike-tyson-68418">READ: MMA legend Tito Ortiz says he&#x27;s been offered a fight with Mike Tyson</a></li></ul><p>The only question that Santos has is about McCullough&#x27;s ability to defend the big men of other countries. </p><p>&quot;Kasi pagka (international), may mga malalaki, may mga big man na mabibigat, &#x27;di ba? Baka kailangan, siya ang dedepensa doon. Sino pa ang dedepensa doon, wala naman. Kasi ang mga big man natin na kwatro, &#x27;di naman ganoon kalalaki,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;Paano kung may singkong malaki, kailangan bantayan niya,&quot; he added.</p><p>This is the one advantage that Andray Blatche has over McCullough, Santos noted. Blatche, at 6-foot-11 and over 250 pounds, had the height and the heft to deal with other centers.</p><p>&quot;Hindi ko sinasabing hindi kayang bumantay ni Chris McCullough kaya lang baka siyempre, ma-foul trouble dahil siyempre sobrang lalaki ng FIBA or ng national players, malalaki,&quot; said Santos. &quot;Pero pwede.&quot;</p><p>Aside from McCullough, the SBP is also considering Ginebra import Justin Brownlee and Ateneo de Manila University foreign student-athlete Ange Kouame for naturalization. The organization intends to create a pool of naturalized players to give Gilas Pilipinas more flexibility when forming line-ups for FIBA competitions.</p><div><strong>(For more sports coverage, visit the <a href="http://sports.abs-cbn.com/">ABS-CBN Sports website</a>).</strong></div>

<p>San Miguel veteran Arwind Santos believes their import, Chris McCullough, is a good candidate for naturalization.</p>

San Miguel veteran Arwind Santos believes their import, Chris McCullough, is a good candidate for naturalization.

Arwind Santos backs SMB import McCullough as naturalized player

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Arwind Santos backs SMB import McCullough as naturalized player

Camille B. Naredo,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 27, 2020 05:41 PM PHT

Read More:

PBA

San Miguel Beer

Arwind Santos

Chris McCullough

naturalization

SBP

Gilas Pilipinas

FIBA

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