Petron taps D-League veteran Sims, Barako nabs ex-Laker Mbenga

3 April 2013 at 4:37 am

With the PBA Commissioner’s Cup elimination round entering its homestretch, Petron Blaze and Barako Bull made last-minute import changes to bolster their respective drives.

Disgusted with the lousy outing of ‘balik-import’ Rodney White, the Boosters are set to bring in NBA Developmental League mainstay Henry Sims while the Energy Cola have tapped the services of two-time NBA champion DJ Mbenga in lieu of Evan Brock.

Running at third with a 6-4 mark but on a two-game slide since prized import Renaldo Balkman was banned by pro league commissioner Chito Salud, Petron is eager to keep its slim hopes alive of making it to the top two and all eyes will be on the 6-foot-10 Sims.

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A former Georgetown University Hoya, Sims is coming off a productive stint in the NBA’s Developmental League with the Erie Bayhawks, posting game averages of 16.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.5 blocks. He also saw action for the New York Knicks in the 2012 preseason and was called up for a 10-day contract with the New Orleans Hornets last month.

He is expected to plane in as early as Wednesday.

According to a tweet by Noli Eala (@Noli Eala), who serves as the sports director of San Miguel Corp, Sims was stuck in Guam and his flight to Manila was cancelled due to an “aircraft problem.”

Two full games behind pacesetters Alaska and Rain or Shine, both sporting identical 8-3 marks, Petron Blaze needs a combination of victories and luck in their last four games to steal one of two twice-to-beat incentives up for grabs in the quarterfinals.

The 23-year-old Sims will have his baptism of fire against Meralco this Friday followed by Barako Bull on Sunday, Air21 on April 13 and finally against Talk ‘N Text on Apr. 17, the last day of the preliminaries.

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Meanwhile, Barako Bull finally snapped out of a six-game funk with a morale-boosting 105-100 win over defending champion San Mig Coffee last Sunday, keeping its bid for a Last 8 berth alive.
That gutsy win enabled the Energy Cola to improve their mark to 4-7, just half-a-game behind the Mixers and the Express, inspiring the team management to make a daring move by signing the 7-foot Mbenga.

Born in Congo but now representing Belgium in international competitions, Mbenga, 32, quietly stepped into the local soil on Tuesday, immediately creating a big buzz with his addition to the Barako Bull.

Reportedly on the radar of the Aces prior to the start of the mid-season tourney and once seriously pursued by the Boosters,, Mbenga is coming in with rich credentials, having suited up for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2008-2010, winning two titles in the process.

Although the 6-foot-9 Brock has collected decent game-averages of 21.2 points, 16.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.4 blocks in 11 outings, his relatively slender frame against his much heftier rivals may have persuaded the Barako Bull management to tap the bulkier Mbenga.

Often coming off the bench as a third-string center, Mbenga is expected to create enough room to operate in the paint while holding his ground against his league counterparts.

After taking on Petron Blaze, Barako Bull next meets Rain or Shine on April 12 and finishes its elimination campaign against skidding GlobalPort on April 14.

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