May 05, 2021

Munzon confident Dyip will be in contention for playoffs

JOSHUA Munzon is excited at the talent Terrafirma has for the coming PBA 46th season that he believes the Dyip have what it takes to become a playoffs-bound franchise.

While the team may have lost top gun CJ Perez in a trade to San Miguel Beer, Munzon still likes the manpower he's expected to work with once the Philippine Cup finally gets going.

Terrafirma has kept the services of former top pick Roosevelt Adams, backcourt partners JP Calvo and Juami Tiongson, Fil-Am Rashawn McCarthy, big men Andreas Cahilig and Aldrech Ramos, as well as the trio of Russel Escoto, Gelo Alolino, and Matt Ganuelas Rosser, all of whom were acquired in the trade for the 27-year-old Perez.

"I think we have a very talented team. We have Roosevelt Adams, he was the no. 1 pick last year. We have James Laput, the big fellow down there. We got a lot of talented guys in this team," said Munzon.

The Dyip finished dead-last during the all-Filipino bubble last year in Clark, Pampanga, enabling them to own the no. 1 overall pick in this year's draft, which they used to tab the 6-foot-4 Munzon.

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The Long Beach, California native hopes to contribute for the team right away and make Terrafirma in contention for a first ever playoffs berth since the 2016 Governors Cup.

"Basically I'll go out there and play my game," he said of his initial talks with Terrafirma coach Johnedel Cardel about his role with the franchise.

"We might be at the bottom last year, but I don't expect to be at the bottom this year with the team that we have," added Munzon, who was signed to a three-year max deal by the Dyip. "Hopefully, I can come in there and contribute and do the necessary things to move us up. Our goal is definitely to be in the playoffs and be a part of the conversation this year."

Part of Munzon's training and preparation for the new season is playing for the Gilas Pilipinas men's 3x3 team to the qualifier for the Tokyo Olympics in Graz, Austria.

He joined the rest of the team that included Perez, Mo Tautuaa, Karl Dehesa, and fellow rookies Alvin Pasaol and Santi Santillan currently at the Inspire Sports Academy bubble in Calamba, Laguna where it put up a training camp for the May 26 to 30 event.

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Munzon appeared in the Power & Play program of former PBA Commissioner Noli Eala together with the members of the team prior to entering the bubble in Calamba. (RG)