Red Bull may steal thunder from SMB

San Miguel coach Jong Uichico won’t be dragged into a word war with Red Bull counterpart Yeng Guiao. He knows the Beermen would be in for a tough time against the Thunder in the title showdown beginning tomorrow.

"There’s a lot saying we should be the favorite in the series but this is all perception. Red Bull is a strong team pound for pound. I don’t agree with those saying we’re the favorite against Red Bull," Uichico told The Star after going through practically a shelf of Red Bull game tapes before their practice at the Green Meadows gym yesterday.

"We’d just watched some of their games. So, basically we know what they’re going to do but the problem is how to stop them. I do believe we’re in for a big fight," he added.

The Beermen and the Thunder play Game One of their best-of-seven playoff for the PBA Commissioner’s Cup championship at 6:30 p.m. tomorrow at the Araneta Coliseum.

If there’s anything Guiao has said which Uichico disagreed with, it’s the experience factor which the Red Bull mentor thought may work to San Miguel’s favor.

"If this is the All-Filipino Conference and we’re the protagonists in the finals, I would agree that we’ll have the advantage in championship experience. But Red Bull has cancelled out our advantage in experience because of Tony Lang. He’s so much experienced and he’s rubbing it to his teammates," Uichico pointed out.

Like many others, Uichico is impressed with Lang that he thought the former Duke standout may become the key factor in the series.

"He’s not scoring in the 40s but he makes big plays, we can’t stop him," said Uichico. "In the past, we’re beating Red Bull by only around one to three plays at endgame. What we worry is that Lang may probably turn those one-to-three plays in favor of Red Bull.

"(San Miguel import) Nate Johnson will always be there. But at 24, kulang na kulang iyung experience compared to Lang. Si Lang siya ang nagdadala ng team niya, si Nate he’s there pero di pwedeng dalhin ang team namin."

Uichico also has good words for the Red Bull locals.

Uichico said the Thunder are so young and so good that the San Miguel-Red Bull confrontation could turn out to be the duel of teams that could be the best of the old and the new in the league.

Guiao’s key local mainstays– Davonn Harp, Mick Pennisi, Jimwell Torion, Junthy Valenzuela, Kerby Raymundo and Willie Miller– are either in their sophomore or rookie year in the league.

Curiously, they will be pitted against the San Miguel squad which is led by Danny Ildefonso, who used to be Red Bull’s main man in its PBL days.

"With its talents, Red Bull can well become the dominant force in the league in the future," said Uichico, whose team is, no doubt, the present force in the league with five titles to its credit in the last six tournaments.

But with Red Bull vowing to spoil what could become a fourth straight championship for San Miguel, Uichico is hoping this challenges his players to work harder to achieve another crown and stay in the hunt for a grand slam season.