The Bay Area Dragons are out to make a statement as a guest team in the PBA for the 2022 Commissioner’s Cup and their towering center Liu Chuanxing is already looking forward to getting a taste of the Filipino brand of basketball.
The 7-foot-5 behemoth, who was also part of the Chinese national team and formerly played for the Brisbane Bullets in the Australia NBL, will have a huge size advantage against the Filipino big men in the PBA.
Even with the presence of the imports in the second conference, Liu will remain a towering presence as compared to the 6-foot-10 reinforcements.
The 23-year-old giant, however, knows that his size will come at a disadvantage against the smaller but quicker guys and the fast tempo of the games in the PBA.
“We are a brand-new team and we did our research for the local teams. We're confident we want to do our best and I have faith in our team. We have outstanding management, teammates and coaches,” said Liu during the League 75 France-Philippines Exhibition Games Press Conference on Wednesday, Aug. 10 at the Novotel Hotel.
“Everything has a positive and negative side. Filipino basketball has very strong characters, you have your advantage, we have our advantage. What we’re trying to do is take advantage of ours and the things that we are good at and try to avoid our weakness,” he added.Liu will team up with former Philadelphia 76ers player Miles Powell under Australian national team head coach Brian Goorjian for the second conference which will kick off Sept. 21.
Bay Area will get a prelude of the PBA action when it takes on PBA teams NLEX and Blackwater in a series of tuneup games before it takes on the French champion team ASVEL-Lyon as part of the League 75 exhibitions games.
It is also set to take part in the inaugural season of the EASL where it will get to face the best teams in the region including the PBA Philippine Cup champion and runner-up.