ELITE, ENERGY TRY AGAIN
HAVING hit rock-bottom in its first dab at the pros, Blackwater is quite sure there’s nowhere to go but up.
The Elite know it will take a lot of doing, starting with their collision with Barako Bull Wednesday opening up their PBA Commissioner’s Cup campaign at the Cuneta Astrodome.
“We will continue to try and give out our best effort to get that first win,” said Blackwater coach Leo Isaac, whose team wound up with a 0-11 slate and 12th and last in the season-opening Philippine Cup.
Barako was just a little better off, even getting to the first phase of the quarterfinals and finishing ninth despite getting a new coach in Koy Banal just on the eve of the season-opener last Oct. 19.
Both teams know the route to the top should again be riddled by obstacles, but they sure are going to try to hurdle those.
Their respective imports should play a big part.
By virtue of its Philippine Cup finish among the bottom four, Barako was allowed to bring in a reinforcement of unlimited height and the Energy did not let the opportunity go to waste by tapping 7-footer Solomon Alabi.
The 26-year-old Nigerian, who has played 26 games for the Toronto Raptors and also saw action in the NBA D-League, Greece and Taiwan, has promised to play up to the team moniker through rebounding and blocked shots.
Blackwater parades its own 7-footer in Chris Charles, a two-time (2013-14) ABL Best Import awardee personally handpicked by owner Dioceldo Sy.
Additional help for Alabi should be provided by Sol Mercado, who was acquired in a trade from GlobalPort for Denok Miranda, as well as Dorian Pena, who has fully recovered from the knee surgeries that kept him out for the entire past season. (NC)
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