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PBA: Armed with better chemistry, SMB seeks to regain All-Filipino crown

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Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="The San Miguel Beermen during the opening of the PBA Season 47. PBA Images" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/news/06/08/smb.jpg"/><figcaption>The San Miguel Beermen during the opening of the PBA Season 47. PBA Images</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA, Philippines -- The offseason has allowed the San Miguel Beermen to figure out why they fell short in the 2021 PBA Governors&#x27; Cup, where they faltered in the quarterfinals against the Meralco Bolts.SMB head coach Leo Austria now hopes that the Beermen can put together a stronger campaign in the 2022-23 PBA Philippine Cup and end a four-conference stretch without a championship.&quot;This time, we&#x27;re able to have some time to develop our team in terms of chemistry. Because the last time around, last conference, that was the problem in our team,&quot; Austria told reporters recently.The Beermen overhauled their team before the Governors&#x27; Cup, trading key cogs Arwind Santos and Alex Cabagnot to NorthPort and TerraFirma, respectively. In exchange, they received Vic Manuel and Simon Enciso.During the conference, the Beermen changed imports twice. They played with Brandon Brown for five games, going 3-2; he was replaced by Orlando Johnson in February but their second import lasted just three games with them.The Beermen finally got the import they wanted originally in former NBA player Shabazz Muhammad, but he wound up playing just four games as they were ousted in the quarterfinals. Those weren&#x27;t the only changes: San Miguel also picked up Rodney Brondial and Jericho Cruz in free agency in the middle of the conference. Austria acknowledged that the changes they made made it difficult to develop as a team.&quot;We had more time to prepare and figure out what&#x27;s wrong with us. And it came out na talagang may problema kami sa cohesiveness and &#x27;yung chemistry,&quot; he admitted. Austria said the past five to six weeks have been critical for the Beermen in developing the cohesiveness that they lacked last conference, and he is optimistic that the improvement will show come the All-Filipino Cup. San Miguel will get its first test of the conference on Wednesday, when they play the Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters.&quot;I hope with our five or six weeks of preparation, it helps a lot. But the way I see it, I&#x27;m confident with them, because iba &#x27;yung body language ng mga player eh,&quot; Austria said.San Miguel has not won a championship since the 2019 PBA Commissioner&#x27;s Cup, although they made the semis in last year&#x27;s All-Filipino Conference. Austria insists that they are not feeling the pressure from management, but also assured that the Beermen are working hard to end the drought.&quot;As far as my knowledge is concerned, regarding the training, they&#x27;re preparing hard. And may mga extra workout pa sila and I hope ma-transform ito into winning ways,&quot; he said.

The offseason has allowed the San Miguel Beermen to figure out why they fell short in the 2021 PBA Governors' Cup, where they faltered in the quarterfinals.

PBA: Armed with better chemistry, SMB seeks to regain All-Filipino crown

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PBA: Armed with better chemistry, SMB seeks to regain All-Filipino crown

Camille B. Naredo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jun 08, 2022 06:44 AM PHT

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basketball

PBA

PBA Philippine Cup

San Miguel Beermen

Leo Austria

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