SAME INTENSITY, AS ALWAYS
Sixty-five to seventy percent.
That’s how much Marqus Blakely rates Purefoods Star early in the 2015 PBA Governors’ Cup.
Moments after winning their debut game against NLEX on Saturday, 89-85, the former Best Import awardee believes that the Hotshots are still far from their lethal form.
“We have high expectations. We got the win, that’s the goal, but there’s still a lot of things as a team that we need to work on,” Blakely said. “With these games, we become better so when the playoffs come, we should be a championship-caliber team. If we’re playing our best right now, it’s a problem. So as long as we continue to get better each game, when the playoffs come, we should be ready whatever happens.”
Blakely admits that there are still times when their game drops. But he believes that as it was before, the defense should always be the focal point for Purefoods Star.
“We kind of played a little sloppy in spurts, but defense was the key, what kept us in the game and what gave us the lead. The offense will come but we just got to stick to our defensive gameplans,” he said.
“There’s always room for improvement. When we’re able to do it continuously, every quarter for every minute, that’s when we’re championship-caliber. When we have those little dropoffs at the time, that brings our whole morale as a team down and the score changes. We just have to keep on pushing through. It’s a long season. We need to iron things right now so when we get to the playoffs, we’re ready.”
Blakely also said that just like before, he doesn’t really mind the pressure of defending anything, recounting, “I feel like, not necessarily deja vu. Last year, it was pressure from the Grand Slam. This year, it’s defending the Cup. Whatever it is, I’m gonna come out with the same intensity. We need teamwork, defense and then execution.”
“As a team, we have a lot of pressure to win, but I’m not focused on that.” (RL)
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