2014-15 PBA Season Team Preview: San Mig Super Coffee Mixers
With the 40th season of the PBA fast approaching, Yahoo Philippines will be giving you a closer look at all 12 competing teams.
Other previews:
2013-2014 PBA Season Recap:
Philippine Cup: Finished fifth in the eliminations, defeated Rain or Shine in six games in the finals to win the title.
Commissioner’s Cup: Finished sixth in the eliminations, defeated Talk ‘N Text in four games to win the title
Governors’ Cup: Finished fourth in the eliminations, defeated Rain or Shine in five games to complete the grand slam
Where they were: The Mixers were on top of the food chain last year as they won the first-ever grand slam for the franchise. They were by no means dominant, as they never finished in the top three spots after the eliminations. However, they got hot when it mattered most. They always found their rhythm heading into the playoffs, which peaked right at the finals.
Where they want to be: They want to dislodge Crispa as the owner of the longest reign as champions in the PBA. The popular team won six straight titles from 1975 to 1977. As the Mixers are now at four, the only way they can top Crispa is if they win another grand slam, which should be very difficult as the other teams have reloaded in the off-season.
Addition/s: None
Departure/s: JR Cawaling
Key issues: Marc Pingris won’t be available for the first few weeks of their campaign as head coach Tim Cone gave the Gilas member a three-week reprieve. He could debut in the new season against GlobalPort on October 31 or against Ginebra on November 9.
Another key issue is the current shape they are in. After playing an absurd amount of games in a short span of time, the Mixers all took a well-deserved break to enjoy the fruits of their labor. The question is how much they enjoyed it and if their coach could whip them into shape before the season starts.
They said it:
Head coach Tim Cone: Winning never gets old. These guys want to win. Our concern is they compete and do the little things, staying focused day-to-day. It’s the process that we worry about, not the result. Yesterday ended last night. What’s done is done. Let’s take that championship trophy let’s put it in the lobby of the San Miguel office then go back to practice and go to work.
PJ Simon: Lumakas yung ibang teams pero kami kumpleto pa rin naman. ‘Yun yung pinaka-lamang namin sa kanila. Yung adjustments sa lineup, hindi namin kailangang gawin kasi solid pa rin yung team.
Prognosis: The Mixers found their winning formula last season but the other teams have all reloaded. A huge target is on San Mig Super Coffee’s back and they are in for the mother of all adrenaline dumps after winning the grand slam.
They still should be perennial members of the semifinals cast and when they get there, it’s still hard to bet against a crew with wide experience in big game situations. Health is also a cause for concern as they went through last season with relatively no big injuries. Sure, Simon was absent for a couple of big games due to a bad back but their loaded backcourt more than made up for his absence.
The Mixers need James Yap, Simon, Pingris, and Joe Devance to stay healthy all season. They also need youngsters Mark Barroca, Justin Melton, Alex Mallari, Ian Sangalang, and Allein Maliksi to carry some of the burden to allow the vets to stay fresh for the playoffs.
The Philippine Cup could be difficult for the Mixers and while James Mays seems to be destined for a second tour of duty, his performance was okay at best in the eliminations before finally finding his groove in the playoffs along with the rest of his team.
They should still be the favorites to win the Governors’ Cup with a healthy Marqus Blakely set for his third straight stint with the Mixers.
