Like the Bay Area Dragons and Hong Kong Eastern before them, PBA Commissioner’s Cup guest team Macau Black Bears have been allowed to bring in two imports—with the caveat that the franchise can choose only one at a time. The Black Bears opted for two different players as reinforcements, tapping two players who ought to be familiar to Filipino basketball fans: Tony Mitchell and Sam Deguara.
Tony Mitchell, the High-Flying Veteran
Tony Mitchell is no stranger to the local hardwood. A 2013 NBA second-round pick by the Detroit Pistons, Mitchell had two stints in the PBA, the first in 2017 with the Star Hotshots and then again in 2019 with the NLEX Road Warriors.
The 6-foot-7 swingman put up 21.3 points, 14.1 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game for Star and then averaged 26.3 points, 13.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists for NLEX. He is known for his “pogo-stick” vertical and shot-blocking timing and has seen action in Israel, Puerto Rico, and China, among others.
Sam Deguara, the Gentle Giant
If Tony Mitchell provides the highlights, Sam Deguara provides the eclipse. Standing at a massive 7-foot-6, Deguara is one of the tallest basketball players ever in history, and he’s here to make sure no one gets an easy layup. Having played for Alab Pilipinas in the ABL, he’s a massive presence who knows how to use his size to dominate the boards.
Deguara is a journeyman of the highest order, having played in Italy, Spain, Japan, and Taiwan. He’s a multi-time MVP in the FIBA European Championship for Small Countries. He was also a walking double-double with Alab Pilipinas, averaging 14.6 PPG and 10.1 RPG. He was just as productive for Macau in the EASL as he averaged 14.0 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in six games.
Will Either of Mitchell or Deguara Unlock the Macau Black Bears?
The Macau Black Bears will begin their PBA Commissioner’s Cup campaign with Mitchell in the active lineup. That means they’ll likely bank on his experience with the pro league, his explosive scoring, and his athleticism on defense. But for a tournament where teams could hire imports of unlimited height, it would be interesting to see if the Black Bears stick with Mitchell for long or if they’d give Deguara a chance right away. Either way, both Mitchell and Deguara will bring a lot of positives on the table as well as some shortcomings that the Macau Black Bears will need to overcome.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————-
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
Marcus Lee | San Miguel Beermen
Kylor Kelley | Converge FiberXers
Ismael Romero | Meralco Bolts
Michael Gilmore | Titan Ultra Giant Risers
