In the last two Commissioner’s Cup which San Miguel won, Uichico suited up Terquin Mott and Stephen Howard — both bigger than Johnson.
"Nate does what we ask him to do and that’s half the battle won," says Uichico. "He does his best out there. We can’t ask for more. It’s a different thing if he doesn’t do what he’s supposed to."
Will Johnson be back next year?
"It’s hard not to bring him back because after all, he took us to the Finals and hopefully, he’ll take us to the championship," replies Uichico. "But I guess, it also depends on what type of imports will be coming next year. If they’re gigantic imports, we’ll consider other options. This year, most of the imports were perimeter, not post players, so Nate was perfect for us."
Even Red Bull coach Yeng Guiao agrees that Johnson is a fit for San Miguel.
"Jong made the right decision in getting Johnson," says Guiao. "He gives San Miguel outside shooting and quickness. If he got someone like Mott, (Danny) Ildefonso wouldn’t be as useful. San Miguel’s offense emanates from Ildefonso who creates situations for Johnson, (Danny) Seigle, Olsen (Racela) and (Nick) Belasco. Ildefonso’s our biggest headache. If we don’t make the right read on him, we’re in trouble. We’ve got to know if we’ll double or not and if we do, when to double — early or late."
Uichico says Game 5 tonight is "very important" because the team that wins will carry a twice-to-beat advantage in Game 6 on Friday.
"It’s our defense versus their offense," notes Uichico. "In Game 4, without (Kerby) Raymundo and (Junthy) Valenzuela, we were able to create mismatches. We were more aggressive — I guess because we won in Game 3. When we were down 0-2, we never lost our confidence. Of course, our morale was a bit low but we knew we could come back. We knew that Red Bull wouldn’t play that hard because with a 2-1 advantage, it had a cushion. We just had to believe in ourselves."
Guiao says he’s confident of Red Bull’s chances in Game 5.
"We’re playing with a complete lineup and San Miguel hasn’t beaten us when we’re complete in the Finals," adds Guiao. "I’ve got a good feeling about Game 5. We’ve had two great practices. I thought the boys would be down after losing twice but not so. We made our mistakes — 26 turnovers in Games 3 and 4. We can’t blame anyone. The pressure is still on San Miguel — they’re expected to win because we’re young and inexperienced. Plus, they’re looking for a Grand Slam."
Guiao says Antonio Lang is Red Bull’s ace. "We’ve got the best import," he continues. "But of course, we just can’t rely on our import. Some games, he’ll be tired or he’ll be off. So we’ve got to make the right adjustments. We’ve told Tony to feel free to do what he’s comfortable in doing — either to post up or play outside. In Game 4, our offense couldn’t get going because Junthy wasn’t around. So even if Tony was doubled, there was no Junthy to kick out to."
Uichico expects another dogfight in Game 5. "Just like the other games, it will be decided in the end," he predicts. "No matter how big a lead a team gets, it will come down to the last four or five minutes."
Guiao says Red Bull feels no pressure from the public, management, or San Miguel. "The pressure we feel, if any, comes only from ourselves," he says. "This is a pleasant surprise for us — that we can match up against San Miguel and give them a good fight. We’re just happy to be in the Finals because it’s an honor to play San Miguel. But we’re in it to win — may disgrasya ang San Miguel."
Uichico says that while San Miguel hasn’t beaten a complete Red Bull team in the Finals, the Thunder was in full force when the Beermen won, 87-83, in the eliminations. Anyway, he’s not putting too much weight on the past — he’d rather look at what’s ahead.
"If Yeng thinks we can’t beat Red Bull with a complete lineup, we’ll see in Game 5," says Uichico.
After Red Bull’s morning practice yesterday, Guiao motored to his farm in Magalang, Pampanga. "Change of scenery," he says. "I’ll take a rest in the farm, cool off, then came back early the next morning."
Uichico spent yesterday morning viewing tape and mapping out plans for Game 5 with his coaching staff. Then, it was practice in the afternoon.
Incidentally, there’s one thing both coaches agree on — Game 5 is a tossup.