AIR21 TAPS WITHERSPOON
In hopes of further boosting its stock, Air21 acquired the services of former Memphis Tiger Wesley Witherspoon to take over from Herve Lamizana.
With Witherspoon, the Express hope to make it deep into the playoffs.
Witherspoon, the last cut in the San Antonio Spurs lineup for the 2012-13 NBA season, is to arrive in time for Air21’s game versus Meralco Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Still uncertain is who will be the Bolts’ import for that game. Meralco has reportedly brought in a back-up import Darnell Jackson even as the Bolts have zoomed to a strong 2-1 win-loss start in the tourney with Brian Butch in tow.
Butch delivered huge double-double games in the Bolts’ victories over the Alaska Aces and the GlobalPort Batang Pier.
The Express, meanwhile, have been on a roller-coaster ride with Lamizana, winning over GlobalPort and Barako Bull but bowing to Talk n Text and Alaska.
On their victories over the Batang Pier and the Energy, Lamizana picked up his game and got going only in the final half.
Air21 coach Franz Pumaren admitted it’s a big concern.
With Witherspoon, the Express hope they could find a steady and more reliable reinforcement who can match up with Richard Howell and James Mays, considered by many as the barometer among the imports in this conference.
Witherspoon is a 6-foot-9 forward signed up by the Spurs in the 2012 NBA preseason only to field later in the Austin Toros team in the NBA D-League. He was later traded to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers where he averaged 14 points, four rebounds and three assists a game.
As a San Antonio Spur in the 2012 NBA summer league, Witherspoon had a solid stint, averaging 8.3 points, 2.0 rebounds and 64-percent field shooting.
He poured in a personal tournament-best of 17 points against the Houston Rockets, highlighting a stellar NBA summer league stint that had him narrowly missing the final roster spot of the 2012 San Antonio team.
Bumping off Witherspoon for that spot was Josh Powell.
Lamizana, a FIBA World Cup veteran playing for Ivory Coast, is the second import cut in the mid-season tourney.
Josh Boone was the first import handed the pink slip, replaced by Kevin Jones at San Miguel Beer. (SB)
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