After their opener win over Blackwater Elite on Saturday, San Miguel Beermen head coach Leo Austria shared that his import, Wendell McKines, had been eager to showcase his abilities in front of the crowd inside the Ynares Center.
“Si McKines gigil na gigil ipakita kung anong meron siya,” said the multi-titled mentor.
The 6-foot-5, 28-year-old, a former import for Rain or Shine Elasto Painters back in 2015, from Oakland, California stated otherwise, though, debunking his coach’s claims that he had been hard-pressed to play.
“I only took two shots. I only took two shots in the first quarter. I just wanted to get a good feel. I don’t think I was,” said McKines. “But if that’s what he says, maybe I was,” he added, with a bit of a chuckle.
In the Beermen’s 118-93 win over the Elite, McKines was all over the place, leading SMB’s balanced attack with 19 markers on 63 percent shooting to go with 12 rebounds, five assists, and a steal in the 20:53 minutes he played.
“I thought we did what we were supposed to do,” said McKines.
“It shows what we are capable of. This is just the first one.”
This may be just McKines’ first game with the storied franchise, but as far as jelling with the team and the system is concerned, the globetrotter has had no issues — he has been with them for months now, and was a witness to SMB’s Commissioner’s Cup title run just a few weeks ago.
“I’ve been here for over two months now, so I think that was a wise decision by both of us in bringing me here and watching their journey to the championship,” said the veteran journeyman. “I’m jelling well.
“This is just my first game, but I’m fighting out there.”
