Paul Lee believes Ginebra remains dangerous even without Brownlee
At A Glance
- The absence of resident import Justin Brownlee for Ginebra is not, in any way, giving Paul Lee and the rest of Magnolia some sort of comfort heading into the much-anticipated Manila Clasico showdown on Sunday, Nov. 19, at the Araneta Coliseum.
The absence of resident import Justin Brownlee for Ginebra is not, in any way, giving Paul Lee and the rest of Magnolia some sort of comfort heading into the much-anticipated Manila Clasico showdown on Sunday, Nov. 19, at the Araneta Coliseum.
Lee, in fact, believes the Kings are as formidable as they used to be especially with the addition of Tony Bishop who the Hotshots lost to in a semifinals series back when he was still part of the Meralco Bolts.
“Iba pa rin yung Justin Brownlee sa Ginebra pero kilala naman natin yung pumalit sa kanya, ‘yun naman ‘yung nag runner-up nung time na naglaban sila sa Finals diba. Ibang klase rin yung Tony Bishop nakalaban din namin sa semifinals yan at alam naman namin na proven din yung import na iyon,” said the veteran playmaker.
Lee even went to as far as saying that the Kings were so deep that they could even pull off a victory against the Hotshots even with their locals alone.
“Again, kahit walang import yung Ginebra kaya kaming tapatan nyan kasi kumpleto rin naman sila sa size,” said Lee.
“May mga wingman sila na malalaki na kaya magbantay ng 3 and 4 na makaka-match up sa import namin so just your respect sa ginebra kung gaano sila kalalim,” he added.
A lot, however, had changed since the last Manila Clasico as apart from the absence of Brownlee and the addition of Bishop, the Kings also acquired Maverick Ahanmisi to bolster their backcourt.
There’s not much difference in the lineup for Magnolia but the Hotshots have players like James Laput, Aris Dionisio, Joseph Eriobu and even the fit-again Ian Sangalang brimming with renewed confidence after the team’s splendid pre-season.
Magnolia, which currently holds a 3-0 record and a 14-game winning streak if the spotless 11-0 record in the PBA on Tour is included, certainly has all the momentum heading into the clash especially after its defense held on against a potent offensive team in NorthPort just last Friday.
While it boosted the morale of the team, that will hardly matter in the contest according to Lee.
“It’s a big help going into the game on Sunday but it’s not guaranteed. In any given day kapag kalaban mo yung Ginebra, iba yan,” said Lee.
“Gaya ng sinabi ko respeto talaga sa kanila. Of course nasa kanila yung winningest coach si coach Tim (Cone) and yung mga local nila sanay na sa isat isa kaya medyo mahirap talaga kalaban yung Ginebra,” he added.