Sibling rivalry - Why San Mig Coffee is the ‘kuya’ to Ginebra and Petron

It’s difficult to look at the San Mig Coffee Super Mixers without looking at their siblings Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and the Petron Blaze Boosters (who will re-adopt the San Miguel Beermen monicker starting next conference). Right now, San Mig Coffee lords it over the PBA, with back-to-back titles over two conferences. Ginebra and Petron on the other hand have found their own success, but have not reached the level of their sibling team just yet.

The relationship between the San Miguel Corporation teams is very similar to how an actual relationship is between siblings.

Right now, San Mig Coffee is the eldest sibling of the three. They’re secure and sure of what they want to be. Ginebra and Petron are the younger siblings. They’re still groping for their form, trying to figure out who they want to be. That’s what separates San Mig Coffee from their sister teams. They have a clear identity.

San Mig Coffee is all about tough, in-your-face defense. And if there’s one player that personifies what the Mixers stands for, it’s Marc Pingris. Ping is the unquestioned leader of the San Mig Coffee on the court. James Yap is more popular, Mark Barroca and PJ Simon score more, but Ping is the heart and soul of San Mig.

Petron and Ginebra on the other hand are still looking for their on-court personas.

The unique thing about Ginebra is that they already have the symbolism of their style playing on their team. LA Tenorio is the run-and-gun maestro that the team has been looking for. He’s the one player in the league that can drive this Ginebra machine. But there is still a lot of hesitation with him. He still hasn’t fully owned the team. It’s this uncertainty that hurts Ginebra.

Petron’s main man should be Arwind Santos. He’s the reigning MVP and the most talented player on the team. He should be the elder statesman guiding their young monster, June Mar Fajardo. He should be the vocal leader of the team, bringing everyone together and getting them to play the “Petron Way.” But with Santos, it’s all “should be’s” and questions. He’s vacated the leadership role in Petron and right now, the Blaze Boosters are a team with no identity.

Because Ginebra and Petron have so much to figure out, they’re constantly changing, always tinkering with their personnel. These two teams have purchased multiple tickets to the coaching carousel and have visited the trading block several times in the past few years.

In contrast, San Mig Coffee has kept the core of their team intact for the past two years. There have been a lot of opportunities to change their roster or their coaching staff. When they lost to the eighth-seeded Powerade in 2011, they could have fired Tim Cone or panic-traded James Yap. Instead, they stood pat, stayed patient and believed in their system.

That doesn’t mean that they’ve stopped getting better. San Mig Coffee has added promising players to their core and developed them to become weapons in their system. Mark Barroca has steadily improved to the point where he’s showing flashes of being an MVP-caliber player in the near-future. Rookies Ian Sangalang and Justin Melton played huge roles in San Mig Coffee’s road to this year’s Philippine Cup championship.

Rather than stockpile established superstars, they’ve surrounded their core with role players and young talent. San Mig Coffee brought in players who know their roles and are willing to work within their system. There is no griping for playing time or drastic changes in their games to incorporate a new player. San Mig Coffee’s young guns will continue to develop and in turn, help lengthen the careers of their aging core.

There is talent everywhere in the PBA. Even lower-ranked teams boast of superstar players and upset ability. What separates championship teams from the rest of the pack is chemistry and teamwork. Watching San Mig Coffee win this season’s Philippine Cup, it was clear just how much each and everyone bought into their system, from head coach to superstar down to the ball boy. They paced themselves in the eliminations and brought the hammer down with the trophy in their grasp.

For Ginebra and Petron to reach the level of their elder sibling, they will have to grow up. They will have to stop falling into the same cycle of shuffling personnel around. It’s hard to get better when things are constantly in flux. Both of their teams have the talent to be championship teams. They should look to their Kuya San Mig Coffee and realize that the real key to winning a championship is continuity. Just like a good elder brother, the Mixers are there to guide the little brothers. San Mig Coffee has shown them the blueprint to becoming a champion team.

However, if Ginebra and Petron don’t mature soon, if they don’t learn from their mistakes, then they’ll stay little brothers to their kuya. - AMD, GMA News