There are different levels to the game.
Dragons scorching eagles and knights sounds like a Lord of the Rings flick.
But actually, that’s just the Bay Area Dragons taking on the Ateneo Blue Eagles and the Letran Knights in separate tune-up matches. On the official Facebook page of the Hong Kong-based team, you can see a couple of action-packed highlight reels featuring Bay Area versus the reigning champs of UAAP and NCAA men’s basketball.
In the match against Letran, the boys from the East Asia Super League showed the difference between a great collegiate squad from a professional club that’s made up of international talents. For sure, the Knights learned something from their 42-point defeat.
In taking on Tab Baldwin’s Blue Eagles, Bay Area tactician Brian Goorjian got his wards to play in a higher gear. Too fast, too strong, too seasoned, the Dragons overwhelmed their young opponents from Katipunan, 118-87.
Just like what they did against most teams in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup, Glen Yang, Myles Powell, and Andrew Nicholson dominated their competition. They pretty much showed that Ateneo and Letran still have a long way to go before getting to their level. But of course, the main objective of the two schools was to learn.
Without a doubt, the experience that was gained from battling a squad in a much higher tier will help the Blue Eagles and the Knights in their upcoming title defense. For that, they can thank the Bay Area Dragons who seemed to have really fell in love with the Philippines.
They’ve been in the country for a while. How much their hotel bill costs might be the real story here.