BY NOLI CORTEZ
DESPITE two straight losses in his rookie
conference as Sta. Lucia Realty’s head coach, Boyet Fernandez
is not about the push the panic button. Instead, he is
punching another one, labeled ‘fast-forward.’
"Every new coach dreams of having his
players quickly adjust to the new system he puts in. It may
take some time, but I’m hoping that in our case, it will be
sooner than later," Fernandez told Malaya yesterday.
Since Fernandez started conducting practice
last Feb. 14, there have been noticeable improvements to some
facets of the Realtors’ game, like their rebounding and
transition offense and defense.
A lot remains to be desired, however, like
translating a new offense to victories expected of a Sta.
Lucia team that has no player loaned to the national team. The
team is also injury free, for now, and has been billed in
pre-season forecasts as the favorite.
Fernandez claimed his team is still in high
spirits, notwithstanding losses to Air21 and Welcoat, the last
to the tune of 94-104 last Sunday.
"Hindi pa naman kami worried. In fact
mataas ang morale and in high spirits pa ang lahat. We knew
magkakaroon ng ups and downs during the adjustment period
dahil, tulad na lang sa opensa, lahat bago," he said.
"But sa attitude, may progress na. Before,
we went into every game hoping we would win. This time, we go
into a game believing we will win."
Fernandez’s wish may just be granted today,
when his team takes on co-cellar dweller Purefoods TJ Hotdog
in the Talk N Text-PBA Fiesta Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.
Unlike the Realtors, the Giants are reeling
from the loaning of Kerby Reaymundo to the RP Team and
injuries to Marc Pingris (ankle sprain), Jun Limpot (bone
spurs) and last year’s best import, Marquin Chandler (left
knee).
Sta. Lucia has not started 0-3 since the
2004-05 Philippine Cup, which it actually opened with a 0-6
record, while Purefoods has not gone 0-3 since the 2003
Invitationals, which it began 0-4.
Still, coach Ryan Gregorio knows where the
odds are stacked.
"It’s a big game for both teams. No team
wants to be stuck in the cellar," noted Gregorio, whose team
is coming off a 104-114 loss to Welcoat last Sunday.
"I am trying to look for ways to win
despite the predicament that we are in. We will definitely go
out for a win. We need it to stay in contention while waiting
for our injured players," he added.
Fernandez said he expects veterans Dennis
Espino and Marlou Aquino to pounce on their height advantage,
exploit the mismatches in the shaded lane and throw their
weight around.
Welcoat, meanwhile, tries to follow up on
its breakthrough win when it takes on Ginebra in the nightcap.
The Kings could prove to be a very tough
nut despite the loss of Mark Caguioa and Jayjay Helterbrand to
the national team and a shoulder injury to Rafi Reavis, which
makes the latter a doubtful starter today.
This the crowd favorites proved by narrowly
losing to Alaska 98-100 in their conference debut also last
Sunday.
"They may have lost the ‘Fast and the
Furious’ (tandem of Caguioa and Helterbrand), but they’re
still very tough and powerful," noted Aces coach Tim Cone.
In another development, San Miguel Beer’s
new import, Paul McMillan III, flew in yesterday and was
officially measured at 6-foot-5 1/16. He takes over from the
bland Vidal Massiah who was held scoreless in the Beermen’s
78-88 loss to the Air21 Express last Wednesday.
A product of Loyola, Illinois, who has had stints with the
Rockford Lightning, Indiana Alley Cats and Great Falls
Explorers in the CBA, McMillan is eligible to join the Beermen
when they face the Coca-Cola Tigers in the conference’s first
road game in Tubod, Lanao del Norte, tomorrow.
