The San Miguel Beermen took their time bringing in an import for the PBA Commissioner’s Cup, and they ultimately signed Marcus Lee. The 6-foot-11 big man was the penultimate reinforcement announced for the league’s midseason tourney, and he brings some glowing credentials to Asia’s pioneer pay-for-play hoops organization.
Marcus Lee, the Rim Runner and Paint Protector
A decorated high school hooper, Marcus Lee played three years for the Kentucky Wildcats. But each year, he had to play behind bigger bigs, like Willie Cauley-Stein, Dakari Johnson, and even Karl-Anthony Towns. Even so, the California-born center showed flashes of potential as a tall, lengthy, and athletic rim runner and paint protector. He truly broke out when he transferred to the University of California Golden Bears, where he put up 11.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks a game.
Lee, though, went undrafted in the 2018 NBA Draft, leading him to toil in the G League and ultimately take his act around the world. Among his more notable international stints were with Cremona in Italy’s Basket Serie A, where he averaged 12.6 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks, and with Yalovaspor in the Turkish Super League, where he put up 15.0 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks.
These past three years, beginning in 2023, Marcus Lee had been playing in the NBL in New Zealand, where he averaged 13.5 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks in 65 games for three different teams.
An Interior Anchor to Help June Mar Fajardo
With June Mar Fajardo still an immovable force down low for San Miguel, a more logical choice for an import would’ve been a stretch four like Bennie Boatwright or Chris McCullough. Instead, the Beermen opted for a player who appears to operate almost exclusively in the paint.
Then again, San Miguel thrived with twin-tower lineups in the PBA Philippine Cup Finals, with Leo Austria routinely pairing Fajardo with either Mo Tautuaa or Rodney Brondial. That appears to be the idea in bringing in Marcus Lee, who’d form a super-sized twin-tower combo with The Kraken. What’s more, Lee brings ferocious rim protection on defense, and that could allow the Beermen’s guards to play more pressure defense, knowing they have a human eraser manning the paint.
So, is it the right call? Fans will find out in due time.
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Other Imports:
Justin Brownlee | Barangay Ginebra San Miguel
Cady Lalanne | NLEX Road Warriors
Terrell Brown-Soares | Magnolia Hotshots
Jaylen Johnson | Rain or Shine Elasto Painters
Daniel Ochefu | Blackwater Bossing
Mubashar Ali | Terrafirma Dyip
James Dickey III | Phoenix Fuel Masters
Bol Bol | TNT Tropang 5G
