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    COLUMN: With Jericho Cruz in, who's on way out in crowded SMB backcourt?

    Someone's bound to get the ax, right?
    Mar 3, 2022
    Jericho Cruz SMB vs ROS
    Jericho Cruz made his San Miguel debut on Thursday against Rain or Shine.
    PHOTO: PBA Images
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    CHICAGO - Tony Bishop is a cool cat, always in chill mode, and the type who doesn't want to stir things up.

    But his pot is boiling right now, bubbling with a frustration that is testing the limits of his patience.

    Upon his arrival as an import in this Governors' Cup, Bishop quickly drove the Meralco Bolts from zero to sassy in less than six seconds, leading the team to a remarkable 4-0 start.

    Averaging 27.6 points, 13.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists per in nine games, the strong candidate for Best Import award has since found a target on his back.

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      Double teams are swarming him now and he is getting touched more often than a massage parlor customer. Heck, even when he is just running down the floor, Bishop is getting bumped, he told me.

      Despite all of the non-consensual contact, the 32-year old Bishop went to the free throw line only once in his last two games.

      Bishop, a well-chiseled specimen at 6-foot-6 and a lean 215 pounds, hasn't changed his game. He is still attacking the basket and isn't settling for jumpers.

      So why the muted whistles this time?

      "I couldn't even tell you, man. I was getting calls early in the season but not now," he told me over the phone.

      IN CONTRAST, SMC IMPORTS ARE GETTING MORE WHISTLES THAN A TRAFFIC COP.

      Ginebra's Justine Browlnee took 11 free throws in his previous game while Shabazz Muhammad had 12 during his San Miguel debut last Sunday.

      Is there some dirty, shady preferential treatment going on here?

      Maybe not, but if somehow true, this isn't the first time I've heard such a theory. And I hate coincidences.

      Still, Bishop insists not to harp on the officiating injustice moving forward.

      "I can't complain. I have to keep being aggressive."

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      SEE ALSO

      Which means Tony will continue to do his job. Hopefully, the refs will do theirs.

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      Like Bishop, Blackwater ain't getting a favorable shake from the referees, either.

      In their 116-103 loss to NorthPort yesterday, the Bossing only took a scant 14 free throws while the Batang Pier partied with 26.

      I get it, the Bossings are horrible. Losers of 28 straight including an 0-9 card this conference, they don't have any gravitas. But they still deserve some respect, something coach Ariel Vanguardia thinks they still have "to earn" from the refs.

      Vanguardia isn't complaining. He merely wished his team would get some of those 50-50 calls.

      Paging Kume Marcial.

      Please spend less time with the study group and more time with the officiating crew.

      There is a potential whistle crisis in your midst.

      FASTBREAK. With Jericho Cruz now on board with a fresh deal, over P800,000 a month, I am told, there is now a glut of guards in the San Miguel roster.

      To address the issue, sources told me that the Beermen will look to unload some people, possibly Simon Enciso or Chris Ross during the offseason.

      CONTINUE READING BELOW ↓
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      After the Berrmen traded away 40-year old Arwind Santos and 39-year old Alex Cabagnot, could the 36-year old Ross be next?

      Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph

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      Jericho Cruz made his San Miguel debut on Thursday against Rain or Shine.
      PHOTO: PBA Images
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