SMB's June Mar Fajardo braces for tough Meralco frontcourt in PBA finals duel

The San Miguel Beermen have only dropped two games in 17 outings in the 2024 PBA Philippine Cup so far.

But they know their bid for back-to-back All-Filipino crowns won't be a cakewalk, especially being pitted against a title-hungry Meralco in the best-of-seven finals.

This is true even for SMB star June Mar Fajardo, who will be facing a loaded Bolts' frontline led by veterans Raymond Almazan and Cliff Hodge as well as rookie Brandon Bates. Aside from the three, Meralco also has other big men in Norbert Torres, Kyle Pascual, and Raymar Jose.

"Syempre mahirap para sa akin kasi kapag tinanggap ko ‘yung bola, andiyan agad ‘yung double team at ‘yung help defense," Fajardo said during a press conference on Monday.

"Pero ayon nga, kailangan ko hanapin ‘yung mga kakampi ko. ‘Yung mga kakampi ko naman sobrang gagaling naman."

[Of course, it'll be hard for me because when I get the ball, there will be a double team and help defense right away... But I just have to find my teammates. My teammates are really good.]

For the Bolts, even just slowing Fajardo down will also be seen as a massive job.

"You can't stop him. You have to give him different looks, you have to look at the tape so you can see your advantage and disadvantage against him," Meralco head coach Luigi Trillo said.

But the Bolts are also aware that San Miguel isn't a one-man show. The Beermen, who are eyeing to capture the franchise's 30th overall title, parades one of the deepest benches in the league.

"Lagi kong sinasabi sa interview na 'di mo mai-i-stop si June Mar at least malimit lang namin siya. Tsaka not all June Mar naman 'tong team na ito, alam naman natin na loaded talaga sila ng mga bigs," Almazan added.

"As I said, it will be a grind out series talaga. Alam namin na 'di madaling talunin ang San Miguel."

[I've said in interviews, you can't stop June Mar, but we'll try to at least limit him. And this team is not all June Mar, we know they're loaded with the bigs... As I said, it will really be a grind out series. We know San Miguel will not be easy to beat.]

—JMB, GMA Integrated News