#rr garcia

PBA IMAGES In a rare trade between two rivals, San Miguel Beer sent guard RR Garcia to TNT in exchange for forward Matt Ganuelas-Rosser on Monday. Garcia, who will be joining his third team in only the last three conferences, is expected to be a solid backup to Jayson Castro. Ganuelas-Rosser, meanwhile, gives Beermen more athleticism and versatility with his ability to play and defend multiple positions. The 26-year-old swingman extended his gratitude to TNT on his Twitter account. He played his first three seasons with the KaTropa, who drafted him fourth overall in 2014. “Just want to thank my teammates, coaches, management, and especially the fans of TNT for treating me and my family with love and respect,” he posted. “I’ve grown so much on and off the court and I will carry those memories and lessons with me.” “I believe that everything happens for a reason and that this is a blessing! I’m excited to start this new chapter with SMB!!! Thank you for the warm welcome and the well wishes! Let’s get it!” Ganuelas-Rosser did not see action in TNT’s loss to Barangay Ginebra on Sunday while Garcia saw limited minutes in San Miguel’s rout of Rain or Shine on Saturday. The post SMB trades Garcia to TNT for Ganuelas-Rosser appeared first on Philippine Basketball Association. http://j.mp/2pcxGi5

InterAksyon.com/Ver Marquez SAN MIGUEL BEERMEN Last season: 58 games 38-20 (.655) RTG DIFF: +2.9 (3rd) ORTG: 104.8 (4th) | DRTG: 101.8 (3rd) Philippine Cup: Champion, 9-2 in elims (2nd) Commissioner’s Cup: Semifinals, 8-3 in elims (1st) Governors’ Cup: Semifinals, 8-3 in elims (2nd) Roster: Brian Heruela, Jay-R Reyes, Alex Cabagnot, Chris Ross, Arnold Van Opstal, Rashawn McCarthy, RR Garcia, Marcio Lassiter, June Mar Fajardo, Keith Agovida, Gabby Espinas, Arwind Santos, David Semerad, Ronald Tubid, Yancy De Ocampo, Chris Lutz (INJ/RES) Coach: Leo Austria Rookies: Arnold Van Opstal (Gilas round), Rashawn McCarthy Key acquisitions: RR Garcia, Keith Agovida Key losses: Ryan Arana PBA Media Bureau HOW THEY DOING? Just fine. The Philippine Cup champions finished last season with the best winning percentage, winning 38 of their 58 games for a .655 percentage. They were also incredibly consistent, never finishing lower than second place in the elimination round and never missing the semifinal round. They have Philippine basketball’s most dominating force – three-time PBA MVP June Mar Fajardo – who is coming off a season where he averaged a career-best 19.7 points per game alongside 12.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.4 blocks. The Beermen also surround ‘The Kraken’ with a well-rounded complement of talent. Marcio Lassiter is an elite three-point shooter, hitting 2.6 per game on a 41.1-percent clip. Alex Cabagnot, in his 11th year in the league, is coming off a career year in scoring with a 14.3 average. Arwind Santos isn’t putting up the same numbers he used to but the former MVP has not slipped. They’ve proven this team has more than enough firepower to win games even without their superstar center. By nearly every angle, this was the best team in the PBA last season. PBA Media Bureau THE OFFSEASON Despite SMB’s status on top of the league, this was not a team that stood pat over the break. They hit the jackpot in the 2016 PBA Draft, coming away with a high upside prospect in De La Salle center Arnold Van Opstal from the Gilas round. They will have the ability to either pair the 6-foot-9 rookie with the 6-foot-10 Fajardo to form a daunting twin tower combination or bring him in from off the bench to relieve the MVP and not lose much size doing so. San Miguel also pulled off a trade that netted them Star point guard RR Garcia, a scoring guard that can help anchor their second unit’s offense, as well as another young player in Keith Agovida, in exchange for Ryan Arana, who averaged under 11 minutes per game for them last season, and a future first-round pick. PBA Media Bureau PLAYER TO WATCH The most intriguing player on the roster has to be Van Opstal. He was a player that seemed on track to basketball stardom due to his size and athletic ability. But an injury cut his UAAP stint short and he spent some time away from basketball prior to joining the Gilas program earlier this year. Van Opstal debuted for Gilas in the 2016 FIBA Asia Challenge to mixed results. The big man made his presence felt in some games but in two out of their five assignments, he fouled out in under eight minutes of playing time and ended up averaging 4.2 fouls in only 14.6 minutes per game. He is going to need to get his timing back and his aggression under control as he works his way back from his prolonged absence. If he can stay on the floor, he and Fajardo could form a pairing that would rival Barangay Ginebra’s Greg Slaughter and Japeth Aguilar. But a lot of that will depend on how far along he is on his way back into game shape. PBA Media Bureau #SQUADGOALS Domination. This team isn’t far removed from a stretch where they won three titles in four conferences. Though they’ve been unable to sustain that after disappointing finishes in the Commissioner’s and Governors’ Cups (disappointing only by their own standards, of course), the Beermen should continue to be the hands-down favorite in every conference this season. Fajardo, too, has not shown signs of slowing down and he’ll be the leading candidate for MVP yet again this season after winning the award three straight seasons. They will return with a complete core and a couple of extra pieces that will somehow make the best team in the league even stronger. Garcia could play a key role as the offensive spark plug off the bench while Van Opstal gives them even more size and depth than they already had. SMB will be looking for nothing short of a championship – maybe multiple ones even – in this coming season. And any team that harbors similar hopes will have to go through them to have any shot at the crown. http://j.mp/2gahZkY

PBA IMAGES Joining his fourth team entering his fourth PBA season, RR Garcia remains upbeat with the latest development in his young professional career. “Hindi naman siguro natin maiiwasan yan kasi professional tayo. Trabaho lang,” Garcia said. Garcia was shipped to San Miguel in the offseason for veteran guard Ryan Arana. He was drafted by GlobalPort in 2013 before playing for Phoenix and Star last season. The former Far Eastern University star is looking at his move as a new journey. He is also grateful for his experience playing with the Hotshots. “Pasalamat din naman ako sa Star dahil marami ako natutunan sa kanila,” he said. Fortunately for Garcia, his ever-changing landscape did put him on a championship-contending team with the Beermen, as he hopes to fit in with their loaded roster. “Siguro kung ano yung naipakita ko, walang magbabago at dodoblehin ko pa. As a point guard, kailangan kung ano yung ibibigay sa akin, gagampanan ko yun. Ang daming star player dito so kailangan kong i-set up sila,” said Garcia, who is expected to share playing time with Chris Ross, Marcio Lassiter, and Alex Cabagnot. Garcia believes he’s slowly getting the hang of being a part of San Miguel as he seeks to perform at his best to help the team in its quest for a third straight Philippine Cup title this upcoming season. “Ngayon nakakapag-adjust na naman ako. Hindi naman ako nahirapan kasi gina-guide nila ako,” he said. “Basta sa akin, kung ano yung minutes na ibibigay sa akin, gagawin ko lang yung makakaya ko kasi alam naman natin na champion team ito eh.” The post Traded again, new SMB guard Garcia stays upbeat despite latest move appeared first on Philippine Basketball Association. http://j.mp/2fKuUgY

RR Garcia Thrills the Crowd! | Governors Cup 2016