The San Miguel Beermen have gone to the extremes in PBA Season 50—starting it off with a championship in the PBA Philippine Cup, then getting the boot from the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the quarterfinals in the Commissioner’s Cup after nearly missing the playoffs entirely. This time around, in the Governors’ Cup, the Beermen are looking primed for another title run after a strong start to the conference with George King as their import.
Where Does San Miguel Stand at the Moment
Before the league went on an extended break, San Miguel had just won three straight—all via blowouts—to climb to 7‑2 and into a virtual tie with the NLEX Road Warriors for league‑best and the Group A lead. Notably, the Beermen have won five of their seven games in double digits, and their average margin of victory has been 22.3. Needless to say, San Miguel has been dominant this conference, and it is looking to stay that way when action restarts in the first week of October.
What to Watch Out for When San Miguel Returns
Even more impressive, the Beermen share top honors with the Road Warriors despite Cjay Perez missing the team’s last four games due to a groin strain. But The Predator is back healthy, as evidenced by his heroic performance in Gilas Pilipinas’ win over Jordan in the fourth window of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers held in August at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. That means an already loaded roster becomes even more potent just in time for what could be an extended playoff run.
Another thing worth keeping tabs on is how San Miguel uses June Mar Fajardo. The nine‑time MVP missed the Beermen’s first game and was recovering from an injury for much of the first part of the conference. It’s probably the reason Leo Austria used The Kraken as more of a fulcrum on offense rather than pounding it inside over and over. Even with a reduced role, Fajardo still averaged 8.4 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.1 blocks in only 29.8 minutes a game. Look for the big man to pick things up once action restarts.
Locals to Keep an Eye On
Needless to say, Perez and Fajardo are two locals to keep an eye on in the PBA’s upcoming stretch run—the former will be looking to make up for lost time, and the latter will be trying to impose his will now that he’s healthy. That should be great news for SMB and its fans, and bad news for the rest of the league.
The Beermen, though, are hardly a two‑man team. Don Trollano, who is so far the team’s leading scorer at 17.1 points while coming off the bench, should come back better in the PBA restart after his stint with Gilas Pilipinas in the Asian Games. The same could be said for Jerrick Ahanmisi, who showed his big‑time pedigree with an explosive outing against Kazakhstan in the quadrennial showcase. These two aren’t short on confidence by any means, and they’ll likely be more emboldened after their national team experience. Imagine that firepower.
Outlook
For years, San Miguel has struggled in import‑laden conferences because they’ve had trouble finding the right reinforcement. That isn’t the case this time around, as George King has proven to be the perfect fit with his league‑best 34.8 points per game on top of 9.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.9 steals. This combination of a prolific, all‑around import and a potent local crew led by a nine‑time MVP should make the Beermen clear‑cut favorites to make the finals—and potentially win the Governors’ Cup crown.
