A stacked, well-prepared Meralco team is expected to represent not just the Bolts, not just the PBA, but the Philippines in the coming East Asia Super League.
The Bolts are now looking possibilities of bringing together long-time rival imports Justin Brownlee and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, and Quentin Millora-Brown, who has just gotten clearance from FIBA to play as a local player, all playing together when they represent the country in the prestigious EASL tournament.
Nenad Vucinic, who will be tasked to coach the team in the coming competition, confirmed to Pinousteo.com, that they are now finding options to bring on board Brownlee, Gilas Pilipinas’ naturalized player, Hollis-Jefferson, Jordan’s reinforcement in major international competitions, and Millora-Brown, a former player of the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, who had just been signed up by the Macau Bears to play in The Asian Tournament and played against the Philippine squad in a tune-up game a few months ago.
Although putting them altogether, plus another import, for the EASL campaign looks exciting and promising, Vucinic tempered expectations.
“Those are possibilities,” wrote Vucinic in a Viber message. “But it is early to talk about it until the deal is done. We are still looking the exact status of Millora-Brown in the EASL. In any case, having them would be great.”
In the EASL, teams are allowed to field in four reinforcements — two imports, one Asian import and one naturalized player.
Meralco came close of becoming the first PBA representative to enter the semifinals in the previous EASL campaign and the squad vowed to do better in securing a best-place finish by a team sent by the Philippines in this prestigious event.
“As always, our aim is to win every competition we play in, if that is a realistic or unrealistic objective, that is for the journalists and the public to decide,” added. “We will try the best we’re capable of.”
Realistically, Vucinic knows the huge challenges they’ll be facing in this competition, knowing that the Bolts’ squad is going to integrate new players that will be given little time to prepare against well-funded squads that are not just teeming with talent, but had already been together for a long period of time.
“Competition is fierce,” added Vucinic. “We are playing against teams that are double and triple of our budget, plus situations like not having an import playing on domestic competitions, so chemistry and form is always an issue. Those are not excuses, but facts. We do believe we could overcome those hurdles.”
