BARAKO VETS OUT TO PULL SURPRISES, SILENCE DOUBTERS
By going against the youth revolution, Barako Bull got some flak after they traded their three first round picks in the recent Rookie Draft in favor of seldom-used players on other teams.
But in their first game of the season, a rousing 88-75 rout where the Energy held a lead that ballooned by as much as 33, it seems that the risk the Bert Lina-franchise took is something that the team is willing to stand by.
“The players really want to play and prove themselves,” said head coach Bong Ramos. “Yun talaga ang plano, to get tried and tested players. Unang laro pa lang yan so wala pa silang napu-prove, but I can see that this team can pull off surprises.”
Ramos admitted that even he was surprised with the outcome, but he said he expected his boys to come out strong throughout the game.
“I’m expecting a positive result, but this is only the first game and we have a long way to go,” he said.
The criticism the team received even before the season started didn’t really bother much of their stars, with some even using that as a motivation to silence the doubters going into this conference.
“Hindi importante yung sinasabi sa labas, pero dapat buo kami. Team kami at yun lang ang iniisip namin,” said the affable Willie Miller, who came from GlobalPort. “Kanya-kanyang style lang ng coaches yan eh. Sa amin kay coach Bong, mas madaling maka-adjust kasi mix kami. Pag puro kasi bata ang kinuha mo, malaking adjustment yan sa kanila. Kahit nasa kanila ang energy at athleticism, di mo pa rin mapapantayan yung experience.”
Denok Miranda, the defensive guard who was shipped from Petron, said, “Namo-motivate kami kasi bata-bata pa naman kami eh. Kaya pa namin maglaro. Nacha-challenge kami sa dami ng batang naglalaro at ang lalakas pa ng teams.”
“Pero naiintindihan naming yung criticisms, kasi galing kami sa iba’t ibang teams at di masyadong nagamit. Controversial kasi na-trade kami para sa Draft picks. Kumbaga, future pa yung na-trade para sa amin,” he added. “Gusto lang naming na mai-prove yung sarili namin.”
Miranda had 10 points in his first outing with the Energy.
Mark Isip, his former teammate in FEU and Petron who also found a home in Barako Bull, fends off the stones thrown at their team, saying, “Hindi importante yung perspective ng others basta’t buo yung circle namin sa loob.”
“Ang business namin is to play basketball and win games. Yung iba excess na lang yun,” he said.
The forward who topscored for the squad with 16 markers said, “It’s a great win to start the conference kasi maganda yung morale ng team. Basketball is a fun game and if you’re not winning, you’re not having fun. The win reflects the work that we put in. Kumbaga, we put in the work and we reap the benefits of it.”
The abundance of veterans to the team is also beneficial for the select few rookies who are new to the team, especially former UST guard Jeric Fortuna.
Playing behind the likes of Miller, Miranda, Jonas Villanueva, and Rob Labagala, Fortuna is slowly learning the know-hows of being a PBA player.
“I learn a lot. Nakikita ko ang mga ginagawa nila, kaya sinusubukan ko lang gawin yung mga ginagawa kaya sila tumagal sa PBA,” he said. “Iniisip ko lang to just be stable at gawin ko lang yung mga pinapagawa ni coach.”
Ramos lauds his squad for being professional enough to adapt to his given system, saying, “What is important to this team is that ‘pag nilagyan ng gameplan, ayaw nilang lumabas dun. To be on one page, hindi pwedeng mag-kanya-kanya kami. That is what I’m happy for this team and these players.”
He concludes, “Yan na yung character ng players. If we would just be given the breaks of the game, we could salvage an upset every time. This team really works hard and they really push themselves. Hopefully, we continue to upset some teams.” (RLeongson)
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