Moving On: Standhardinger Set to Join SMB Earlier

The top pick in last year's PBA Draft sets focus on PBA career after ABL letdown.

As the old saying goes, "Once a door closes, another one opens."

For Christian Standhardinger, even though his stint with the Hong Kong Eastern Basketball Team ended abruptly after San Miguel Alab Pilipinas dethroned the former in the semifinal round of the ASEAN Basketball League after a 79-72 victory in Game 2, Standhardinger still has a lot to look forward to. For one, he has an upcoming PBA career which has been anticipated by almost every PBA fan owing to the fact that his last year's top pick in the PBA Draft.

And even though his latest heartbreak was dealt by Alab Pilipinas, a team that is ironically backed by San Miguel, another "San Miguel" team will be welcoming him with open arms once Standhardinger joins them. That team is, of course, none other than the San Miguel Beermen who will enter the Commissioner's Cup as the defending champions, again. And with the ABL already a part of his past, for now, Christian Standhardinger gets a fresh start in the PBA.

According to Gee Abanilla, the Beermen's team manager, the earlier arrival of their prized rookie is indeed, a welcome development to the team as it will allow Standhardinger to jell with the rest of the team in time for the team's training camp which is scheduled to open this weekend. 

Another plus point of having Christian Standhardinger on board earlier than expected is that it will give the rookie 3 weeks to get know the system that Coach Leo Austria will install for the mid-season conference as the Beermen aren't scheduled to hit the floor until the first week of May. 

Conclusion

As painful as it is for Standhardinger, his ABL loss will only make him better especially now that he is about to begin his PBA career.  With the Beermen that is bannered by June Mar Fajardo, Standhardinger can accomplish something that he failed to do in his rookie season in the ABL: win a championship and possibly, help the Beermen win another Grand Slam.