Game Saturday (Lucena City)

6:30 p.m. – Alaska vs Ginebra

Games Sunday (Ynares Sports Center, Antipolo City)

4:15 p.m. – Barako Bull vs Air21

6:30 p.m. – Petron vs B-Meg

MANILA, Philippines — Former Smart-Gilas Pilipinas naturalized player Marcus Douthit has played for the PBA, and he knows it’s not easy to play against some of the best Filipino players.

So that will be his challenge as he tries to lead the Air21 in the import-flavored conference starting tomorrow.

The 6-foot-11 Douthit, who arrived last Thursday and met with Air21 officials including Express coach Franz Pumaren, had his first practice session with the team yesterday at the Ronac Center in San Juan.

“I spoke to him, and told him he needs to be aggressive and assertive because this is a young team,” Pumaren said Friday. “He’s fortunate that when he played for Smart-Gilas in the PBA last season, they have the talent so they were able to compete.”

“Now, with Air21, he really needs to take the cudgels and be a leader for this team,” added Pumaren.

Douthit is in game shape after finishing his stint with the Foshan Dralions in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) last week, reason why Pumaren is confident the Express will do well with the former Providence College stalwart.

What worries the 31-year-old Douthit, Pumaren said, is the adjustment he needs to do with his new team considering that he just arrived and will play tomorrow versus Barako Bull at the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo City.

“He’s confident in a way, since he’s in game shape,” said Pumaren. “But Marcus knows he has to make the adjustment playing with a new team. But he’s a smart player, very talented. And he also knows and likes to play in the PBA-type of atmosphere.”

Air21 – formerly Shopinas.com – is seeking for its first win in the PBA after going a league-worst 0-14 in its maiden conference in the Philippine Cup. Aside from Douthit, the Express acquired during the break veteran forward Mark Isip from Meralco.

Douthit played for the national team in the last FIBA-Asia Championship in Wuhan, China, where the Nationals finished fourth overall.

For that, they missed a chance to earn a slot in the 2012 London Olympics since the event served as its qualifying tournament.

When Smart-Gilas played in the PBA as a guest team in this same conference last season, Douthit, a draft pick by the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2004 NBA Rookie Draft, helped the team reached the semifinals but they lost to Barangay Ginebra.