Realtors test Titans in Fiesta Cup kickoff

MANILA, Philippines - Burger King, formerly Air21 but with the spunk of a new ball club with a new coach and an overhauled lineup, makes its debut as it takes on Sta. Lucia Realty in a road showcase kicking off the Motolite PBA Fiesta Conference at the Lamberto Macias Gym in Dumaguete today.

Returning imports Shawn Daniels and Anthony Johnson spearhead the Titans’ and the Realtors’ respective bids in the 5 p.m. match, the first in a series of road games featured in the “PBA Phoenix Fuel on Tour.”

Focus could well be on the Titans since PBA watchers are curious on how the team will fare after all the changes they undertook during the conference break.

The major facelift had the team changing its name from Air21 to Burger King, tapping national team mentor Yeng Guiao in lieu of former coach Bo Perasol and acquiring new players in Beau Belga, Chad Alonzo and Eric Rodriguez.

There’s also the entry of new alternate governor Mikee Romero, new team manager Eric Arejola and new assistant coaches Junel Baculi and Jorge Gallent.

The team, however, keeps the core of Arwind Santos, Wynne Arboleda, Gary David, Homer Se, Marvin Cruz and JR Quinahan, making the management and the coaching staff confident of a fighting finish in the tournament where the old team wound up second behind Barangay Ginebra.

“This is a young, talented team that is willing to learn. So far, so good. They’re responding to the system,” said Guiao.

On the other side is the Sta. Lucia team, returning to action with not a single change from the roster that finished a strong third in the recent Philippine Cup.

Their import is no stranger to the Realtors system either since Johnson reinforced the team in a stint in the Brunei Cup in 2007.

“In Johnson, all we need is little adjustment because he has already played for us,” said Sta. Lucia coach Boyet Fernandez.

Johnson is almost two inches shorter than Daniels but Fernandez is likely to play his import in the wing with Dennis Espino and Marlou Aquino to alternate on defense against the Burger King import.

The Realtors were in the hunt for a season sweep last year but eventually settled for seventh place in the Fiesta Conference, struggling with imports Wesley Wilson, Jamar Brown and Lee Benson.

Air21, on the other hand, enjoyed breakthrough performance as it found a gem of an import in Steven Thomas who brought the team all the way to the brink of winning the championship. The Express lost to the Ginebra Kings in an epic finals that went to a deciding Game Seven.

With Daniels, the Express reached the semifinals and finished third in the 2006 Fiesta Conference.

For the record, Air21 was 2-0 over Sta. Lucia last conference. The Express dealt the Realtors their worst defeat, 107-83, in the tourney last Oct. 24 at the Ynares Center in Antipolo, settling the outcome of the game early.

The Realtors, however, were 2-0 against Guiao.