Siot's dilemma

San Miguel Beer is safely in the semifinals of the PBA Fiesta Conference but coach Siot Tanquingcen isn’t the type to relax and enjoy the luxury of what could be close to a two-week rest before the Beermen return to action.

While eight other teams try to outdo each other in deciding the last two semifinal qualifiers, Tanquingcen will use the break to resolve a big problem – which import to use in the stretch run, Gabe Freeman or Chris Williams?

Freeman, 23, led San Miguel to a 9-2 record, averaging 21.5 points, 16.5 rebounds and 31.2 minutes a game. Actually, the Beermen played their first game in the conference without an import as original pick Nate Carter failed to obtain his release from his previous club in France. San Miguel beat Alaska, 93-89, just the same and that ignited an 8-0 start with Freeman at the helm.

But the downside in Freeman’s case is he’s largely untested in pressure situations. He played for Mesa Community in junior college but never for a Division I or even Division II school. Freeman, however, gained valuable experience as an import in Mexico and a starter with the Albany Patroons in the Continental league.

Freeman’s reed-thin frame is another cause for concern. He hasn’t faced Ginebra’s David Noel or Purefoods’ Marquin Chandler or Talk ‘N’ Text’s Rashad Bell and in a seven-game series against any of those quality imports, it’s not certain how he’ll fare.

The upside is Freeman’s incredible intensity. He plays with overflowing enthusiasm which rubs off on his teammates. Freeman is young, athletic and indefatigable. But he still has a lot to learn in terms of pacing himself for a 48-minute game.

Another thing going for Freeman is his familiarity with the PBA style. He’s played 11 games so far and the bottom line says it all – nine wins, two losses. Freeman and the San Miguel locals are no longer strangers to each other.

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In contrast, Williams is a veteran with tons of international experience, having played previously in Australia, Germany, South Korea, Turkey and China. He suited up four years for the University of Virginia where his most celebrated teammate was now San Antonio Spurs forward Roger Mason. Virginia plays in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) where the contenders include North Carolina, Duke and Maryland. Williams learned the ropes in fertile breeding grounds.

Williams, 28, was called the “Silent Assassin” by Virginia coach Pete Gillen.

“He’s not flashy but he helps you win,” said Gillen. “Chris is a very good percentage shooter and rebounder and he’s a deceptive defensive player. He can block shots, create turnovers and make deflections. He helps you in subtle ways on the defensive end that people don’t always see. He is the glue in a lot of ways that holds things together. He is so steady. He’s a quiet player and a quiet person. He is not real comfortable talking about himself and not big on talking to the media. Because of that, he is a very underrated player.”

For his part, Williams said, “My game is unassuming .... if you see the game, you don’t notice it but on the stat sheet, you see it’s a big game – that’s the way I want it to be – unassuming.” Aside from the “Silent Assassin,” Williams’ other moniker in school was the “Big Smooth.”

Williams was recruited by coach Jeff Jones to play for Virginia after averaging 17.5 points and 10 rebounds for Minor high school in Birmingham, Alabama, and leading the varsity to the state 6-A title in 1997-98.

But before Williams could play as a freshman at Virginia, Jones was replaced by Gillen. Williams’ parents David and Cheryl tried to transfer him to the University of Alabama, where they graduated, and he attempted to renounce his Virginia scholarship but Gillen refused. Williams wound up averaging 16.8 points for the Cavaliers varsity and was named the ACC Rookie of the Year in 1998-99.

Throughout Williams’ varsity career, he averaged about 15 points and shot over 50 percent from the field, over 35 percent from three-point distance and over 70 percent from the line. Although Virginia never advanced beyond the first round of the playoffs during his four-year stay, Williams proved himself to be a winner in leading Sydney to the Australian league title in 2003 and Frankfurt Opel to the German league crown in 2004.

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To test Williams, Tanquingcen relegated Freeman to the injured reserve list and activated the former Virginia star for San Miguel’s game against Sta. Lucia last Sunday. Williams had flown in the night before, did a shoot-around and joined Tanquingcen in a quick walkthrough.

Against the Realtors, Williams started off slowly, as expected, scoring only a point in the first period. But he picked up as the game progressed, finishing with 19 points, eight rebounds and three assists in 35 minutes. He shot 8-of-13 from the floor and 3-of-8 free throws. Williams said he flubbed his foul shots because “I had no legs.”

Williams’ experience was evident when he hit the winning basket. With 23 seconds left on the shot and game clock, the Beermen ran a play that brought the ball in Williams’ hands for an isolation. Williams, showing a veteran’s composure, put the ball on the floor, dribbled inside the lane, faked off three defenders and calmly sank the marginal lay-up. He didn’t panic. Under time pressure, he could’ve settled for a jumper but chose to go for a high percentage shot.

In that same situation, Freeman probably wouldn’t have been as patient. But then, maybe San Miguel wouldn’t have been in that 90-all predicament and would’ve led by a comfortable margin if Freeman played. Remember that in the previous game, Freeman had 33 points and 21 rebounds as San Miguel trounced Barako Bull, 99-92.

Tanquingcen’s dilemma is choosing one import over the other – youth versus experience, a tested player versus a Chris-come-lately.

Under PBA rules, once Freeman is reactivated, he may no longer be placed back on the reserve list. Of course, Tanquingcen has the option of reactivating Freeman to start the semifinals and placing Williams on reserve. If Freeman later bombs out, Williams may be reactivated. A player, however, may be placed on the reserve list and reactivated only once.

This Friday, Williams is expected to play for San Miguel once more in the Beermen’s final regular inter-intra game against Coca-Cola. For sure, Tanquingcen will scrutinize Williams’ every move as he struggles to decide whether to stick with Freeman or not in the semifinals.