Blackwater eyes first opener win vs Phoenix

BLACKWATER has never won any of its first games in a conference, much less a season, in its first two years in the pro ranks.

Coach Leo Isaac is hoping that would change Wednesday when his Elite clash with an equally retooled Phoenix side in a match launching their campaign in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“New season. Some new players. Renewed energy,” said Isaac on the eve of the match. “We are excited for our first game tomorrow.”

Virtual co-first round draft picks Mac Belo and Ael Banal headline Blackwater’s five new players as it tries to set off its bid on a bright note and from there duplicate its first-ever quarterfinals appearance in the same tourney last season.

That should prove to be quite a task, considering the Fuel Masters also did some tinkering in their own lineup, resulting in four new players led by Fil-Canadian Mathew Wright and veteran Doug Kramer.

With Gelo Alolino and Jeff Javilonar also on board and joining the likes of holdovers JC Intal, Cyrus Baguio, Willy Wilson and Mark Borboran, Phoenix coach Ariel Vanguardia believes his team has more materiel to go deeper this time around.

First, Vanguardia pointed out, his charges must all do their share in making stops.

“We worked hard on our defense this pre-season,” related Vanguardia, who steered the team to an eighth place finish his first time at the helm in the last Governors Cup.

“That’s our goal this conference, to show more commitment in that aspect of our game.”
At first glance, that goal seems doable since Blackwater traded top local scorer Carlo Lastimosa to NLEX
before last month’s draft and got seldom-used James Forrester in return.

But with former PBA D-League MVP Belo taken from the special draft for Gilas players and Banal tabbed first in the regular draft, the Elite seem to have filled up the void.

For good measure, Blackwater also took in free agent Ronjay Buenafe and also drafted former National U Bulldog Tristan Perez.

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