Improved Blackwater out to get wins, not just compete
JP Erram. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
A lot can change in a span of a year.
Last season, Blackwater was the league’s cellar-dweller, battling with the best and but most of the time coming up short.
Now, with a rejigged roster and a more motivated crew, the Elite have been giving fancied teams a scare by competing up to the very end.
READ: San Miguel fends off Blackwater
Take San Miguel for example. The Beermen needed a late run to escape with a 93-83 win over Blackwater.
Despite the loss, another player showed great potential as forward JP Erram finished with a career-high 23 points to go with eight rebounds in a night where he had to muscle it out with two-time MVP June Mar Fajardo.
“Ang bigat eh, pero kailangan ko gawin yung trabaho ko,” he said. “Sya yung number ine offensive asset ng San Miguel, so sobrang laking task nun for me at ginawa ko lang ang trabaho ko. Kahit paano, nagawa ko naman ng maayos. Masaya din ako kasi yung opportunity na binibigay ni coach, nakakagawa ako ng maayos sa court.”
READ: Blackwater stuns Meralco behind Lastimosa’s game winner
Erram said that with a season under Elite’s belt, the landscape has improved a lot for the team. Though they are still looking for that consistency they need to keep the streak, the Elite have established that they are no pushover.
“I think sa lineup din namin. Ngayon, sobrang focus kami. Last year is a motivation sa amin. Di kami nanalo ng All-Filipino, and sa Commissioner’s at Governors’ (Cups), hirap din kami manalo. That’s enough motivation for us to compete,” Erram said.
Echoing coach Leo Isaac’s sentiments, the former Ateneo big man said that Blackwater isn’t satisfied with merely improvements but is determined to get more than just one victory this conference.
“Competing is one thing, pero ang nawawala sa amin is yung win,” said Erram. “Kulang lang talaga sa panalo, pero (with the way we are playing) it’s a confidence boost for us. We just have to play our system.”
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