JASON Brickman knows all too well how huge of a presence the 7-foot-6 Sam Deguara is.
After all, they've made it to the finals before when they were still suiting up for Mono Vampire.
Two years later, they are hoping to make the same magic this time as they renew their partnership for San Miguel Alab Pilipinas in the Asean Basketball League.
"I’m extremely happy," said the Fil-Am court general. "We played really well together. He’s a force on the inside, defensively and offensively. I know his impact on the game and how dominant he is just because of his size."
Brickman went to as far as labelling Deguara as one of his most beloved frontcourt man, noting: "I played with him for a year and he’s one of my favorite big men to play with. Once he has position, it’s tough for anyone to guard him."
That combination has been working wonders for Alab, which has made it three wins in a row with a 96-73 rout of Mono.
Deguara was his usual towering self with 20 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks, while Brickman was happy to orchestrate the offense, putting up eight points, eight boards and 10 dimes.
"I didn’t hit shots, but I think I was making the right plays, just being aggressive," noted the former ABL Finals MVP, with the bitter memory of that season-opening loss to Mono still in his mind.
Brickman went scoreless and shot only once as Alab started the season with a horrifying 111-76 defeat to the Thai side on Nov. 17.
"Game one against them, I only took one shot. So I wanted to be more aggressive each game and coach Jimmy (Alapag) is telling me to be aggressive and take shots," he said.
"I thought I made the right plays, make good decisions and that helped us in the thurd quarter get space and get a bigger lead. Then the other guys were able to come out and finish it, so I’m happy with the game today."
A lot surely has changed in a span of a month, and the Philippine club has now moved to the top of the standings at 3-1.
"It’s going great right now. We’re getting better every game. From our first game to now, I think we made a lot of improvements," said Brickman, satisfied of his game and also looking forward to immerse Deguara more to this new team.
"Obviously, Sam helps us a lot on both ends, defense and offense, He's just getting used to our guys and to have him playing with Alab is a big help. I think he’s gonna be a force for us all season. And we’re starting to get chemistry, so as long as we keep improving, I’m gonna be happy."
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