Jimmy Alapag had high expectations when San Miguel Alab signed Jason Brickman during the off-season. With Bobby Ray Parks, Jr. gone, he felt confident that the 6-foot guard could steer the Philippine-based club team to new heights in the 10th season of the ABL — just as John Stockton did with the Utah Jazz back in the 90s.
“The first guy that comes to mind is John Stockton,” Alapag said about Brickman. “Watching the passes that he makes and seeing the type of seam that he throws them through. It’s a really, really small window and he gets the ball through in there.
“Much different than some of the point guards that we’ve seen in the ABL who are more athletic and might be a little faster. He beats you with his ability to forward the ball and he throws it with accuracy.”
As expected, Brickman struggled in his first game with Alab last November 17. He went scoreless and dished out just four dimes in a 76-111 loss to his former team Mono Vampire.
Photo from ABL
Since then, the product of LIU Brooklyn has flourished, steering Alab to three straight wins — including a 96-73 payback win over Mono last Tuesday.
After all, he wants to prove that Alapag — one of the greatest point guards the country has produced — is right.
“He’s a big reason that I came here. Coach Jimmy obviously was a great point guard in the PBA. I know he’s done a great job coaching Alab. Playing against his Alab team in the Finals, I just know he does a great job with the team. He really lets the players have the freedom to play and use their strengths,” said the one-time ABL champion, who is 28 years old.
“I’m just looking forward to learning from him, and I wanna bring a championship back to the Philippines with Coach Jimmy.”
In the contest, Brickman posted his usual numbers, finishing with 10 assists, eight rebounds, and eight points. For him, though, he needed that to erase the bitter memory of their loss in Thailand.
“Game one against them, I only took one shot, so I wanted to be more aggressive each game. And Coach Jimmy is telling me to be aggressive and take shots.
“I thought I made the right plays, make good decisions, and that helped us in the third 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,” said Brickman, as Alab led by as much as 26 points, 84-58, with under five minutes remaining in the game.
“That’s what Jason Brickman does. He provides that stability and leadership at the point guard position,” added Alapag.
With a three-game winning streak, Alab is starting to find its identity. But the best has yet to come for the team, according to the floor general.
“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.”
