Is Malik Pope the answer to San Miguel’s prayers?
The Beermen sure hope so as the traditional contenders have brought in the American big man to replace Jabari Narcis in an attempt to revitalize their playoff aspirations in the ongoing PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup.
The switch came a day before their meeting against Meralco at the Candon City Arena in Ilocos Sur in a battle between squads looking to further climb up the standings as they are currently sitting at the bottom of the Top Eight.
At no. 8 is SMB with a 4-4 record and that’s mainly because they have yet to find the best possible reinforcement after failing to secure the services of first choice Troy Baxter, who was not released by his club in China.
Now, they’re bringing in their fourth import in Pope after Quincy Miller, Torren Jones, and Narcis, all of which have also played for San Miguel in the 2024-25 East Asia Super League where the team is still winless at 0-4.
It remains a question why Jones hasn’t been brought back for PBA duties by the defending conference champions, considering that he helped steer the crew to their two-game winning streak earlier in the midseason tournament.
For now, though, San Miguel is crossing its fingers that the search would end with Pope, who hails from California and has been playing professionally since 2018 after a four-year collegiate career with San Diego State.
Listed at 6-foot-10, the 28-year-old center began his career with PAOK in Greece before bouncing around in the G League, where he also became part of Ignite in 2021 in a batch bannered by Chinese big man Zeng Fanbo.
Pope, who also played in Germany, Colombia, Portugal, and Estonia, most recently suited up for the GBA Lions Jindrichuv Hradec of the Czech Republic’s Kooperativa NBL and is now headed to his maiden stint in Asia.
He’s joining a team that’s hoping to continue its winning ways in the conference after an 85-78 victory over Magnolia last Sunday in Antipolo.
