OLD ACE UP ALASKA’S SLEEVE
When Alaska hoisted the 2013 PBA Commissioner’s Cup trophy, thinking of the future gave each of the Aces goosebumps.
Coach Luigi Trillo finally won a championship for the franchise in the post-Tim Cone era, JVee Casio, Cyrus Baguio, and Sonny Thoss looked like they were on their way to becoming a potent Big Three, Calvin Abueva cemented his place in the Rookie of the Year race, and Alaska finally looked like it was well on its way back to the top of the PBA food chain.
But the succeeding two conferences proved to be disappointing for the Aces, and as they look to defend their Commissioner’s Cup crown, they called an old reliable to get themselves back on track.
Enter Rob Dozier, last year’s Bobby Parks Best Import awardee for the same conference.
The former Memphis Tiger returned for his second stint with the Aces, which coach Luigi Trillo said was an easy decision.
“He gave us an 18-4 record, which is the second-best in franchise history in 26 years,” Trillo said. “Not only that he’s a good player, but he’s a good person. We’re just thankful that he’s given us an opportunity to come back.”
“Before, we didn’t know that Rob was available and we were looking at a ton of guys. When he made himself available for us, to me, he worked his way up. It’s nice to see him coming in here and fitting and being a part of the team once again. There are a lot of imports who came here who have probably better talent, but I’m just amazed at how hard he works.”
Compared to last year’s stint, this year is proving to be a smoother one for the Aces, as they are getting someone who’s already familiar in their system. But Trillo remained hesitant to say that bringing back Dozier is a big advantage for the Aces.
“It’s an advantage cause he knows the system and he knows the players. It’s a disadvantage in a way because the people know him also, so they really respect his game. When they come in there, they’re really ganado when they play him. You weigh it all in, and it’s all relative really,” he said.
Dozier hasn’t played competitive basketball for a year, and even disclosed that the last time he played ball was in Game 3 of last year’s Finals. Trillo, however, is praised his reinforcement’s discipline as Dozier came back to the country in tip-top shape.
“To the other players, two to three weeks or a month is really a lot already. For him, not playing for 10 months and he’s coming in, and he’s ready to play,” Trillo said. “I think he needed to refresh also. He’s been playing overseas for a long time, but I’m just impressed that he doesn’t look out of shape. He’s in good condition.” (RL)
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