Game Today:  (Ynares Sports Arena)
3 p.m. -- NLEX vs Freego Jeans

ON paper, Freego Jeans doesn’t appear to stand a chance against defending champion NLEX in their best-of-three title showdown of the PBA D-League starting today.

But Road Warriors’ coach Boyet Fernandez is clearly wary of the Jeans Makers.

“Their chemistry and their familiarity with each other make them a tough read,” Fernandez said. “So we should play smart.”

Eight of Freego Jeans’ players – Lionel Manyara, Lester Alvarez, Eric Camson, Rodney Brondial, Roider Cabrera, Janus Lozada, Alex Nuyles and Ryan Monteclaro – are still or have already played under Austria the past four years in the UAAP.

Playing smart isn’t actually NLEX’s strongest point. It rolls over foes behind its depth, size and athleticism, and those traits are actually the things that make the Road Warriors the overwhelming pick to repeat as tournament champions.

“It’s impossible for us to match-up with their size and athleticism,” said Freego Jeans coach Leo Austria, the former PBA Rookie of the Year.

Yet there is something Austria sees in his roster that could perhaps offset NLEX’s advantages.

“Pero kung makapag-execute kami ng maayos and prevent them from scoring on easy lay-ups, anything can happen. Every team has its strong and weak points, we just have to be ready every game,” Austria said.      

Game One of the tournament’s best-of-three championships gets under-way today at the Ynares Sports Arena, and the Road Warriors are expected to end this series in a hurry even though Fernandez is bracing himself for a tough grind.

“I don’t care whether it takes two or three games, as long as we win the championship that’s fine with me,” said Fernandez after the Road Warriors dispatched Big Chill, 89-60, in the deciding game of their semifinal duel on Tuesday.

Freego Jeans, for its part, needed only two games against Cebuana Lhuillier to advance into the Finals.

The Jeans Makers, however, would like to forget the result when they confronted the Road Warriors in their only meeting in the elimination round.

NLEX scored a 76-59 victory, and that could boost the Road Warriors’ confidence heading into today’s crucial meeting.