Petronovela: The Coaching and Player change (Again)

Photo by AKTV

Petron ended the 2014 Philippine Cup with a 4th place because of an early elimination in the semis. they lost to Rain or Shine with a 4-1 status, Quite a good run for them actually for It's hard to enter in a semis. 

But the thing is, Petron is a loaded team they have all the caliber they wanted: from Center up to Point guard they are all complete (Well even the their bench is locked and loaded) but why are they still losing? 

Fans said because of the team lack of teamwork for they are only focusing on individual stats, some says it the coaching staff for they lack experience with this kind of series.

By that SMB/Petron seem to follow both statements. They started to trade some of their key players specifically: Alex Cabagnot and Jason Deutchman. Alex Cabagnot was traded to GlobalPort for Sol Mercado and Jason Deutchman was traded to Barako bull for Rico Maierhofer. 

That was not the end of the change..

Petron/SMB took another step; They reshuffled their coaching staff..
Coach Gee Abanilla was promoted to Team manager of the Petron/SMB team, Biboy Ravanes was named Head coach, Todd Purves was allowed to be an active consultant (AKA: To be in charge), Siot Tangquincen (Former Team manager of Petron/SMB) was moved to Barako bull and Leo Austria was removed in the coaching staff by the SMC management

The big question remains: Was this a good move by the Petron Management? 

Well I guess this is not a good move by the Petron Management, why? 
Well because first of all why trade players when you know The "Teamwork" is not working? Trading would just make the team chemistry go back to 0 as they say
Also why would you Reshuffle your coaching staffs? There would be a hard time on adjusting to a another system again, this also affects the team chemistry. 

We all have this little observations on what will happen on the Team but we really can't say for sure if this would be a good or bad move for the team. Who knows? our Observations might be wrong and they might be right. 

But there is one thing I wanted to say not just for the Petron/SMB team but to other teams as well: Change affects Chemistry, Chemistry results into teamwork and bond, Teamwork and Bond can win Championship 

Epekto ng pagkatalo ng Ginebra sa isang Die Hard Fan

Kanina ang ganda ng gising ko dahil panalo ginebra kagabi, at malakas ang feeling ko na mananalo ulit sila ngayong laro dahil na sa kanila yung momentum..

Masaya ako pumasok sa klase ko kahit isa lang kasi nga goodvibes ako nung araw na yun.. 
binungad ko nga sila ng pagiging hyper ko ehh, pinagyayabang ko pa nga na ginebra mananalo sa series na to kasi nasa amin yung momentum ehh. 

eh di ayun nagklase na kami at sakto Basketball ang PE namin ngayon, eh di syempre dahil na masaya ako maligalig ako maglaro kahit natalo masaya pa rin ako kasi yun talaga ang epekto ng ginebra sa akin, basta't panalo sila gumaganda ang mood ko kinabukasan.. actually mahirap nga sirain ang mood ko pag ganun ehh

ganun talaga ang epekto ng ginebra, ibang klase kasi tong team na to. parang walang team sa buong mundo ang may ganitong kalakas na impact. Kahit nga siguro mga fans ng LA Lakers di kaya tumabasan ang Fans ng Ginebra. at isa na ako dun! 

eh di pagkatapos ng klase diretso uwi na ako at naglakwatsa muna sandali bago talaga umuwi sa bahay.. kahit pagod na pagod ako kanina, nakangiti pa rin ako kasi nararamdaman ko na maganda ang resulta mamaya o pag positive ang araw ko baka maging positive rin ang laro.

So ayun 7:30 na at sobrang excited na ako, kumain na ako, naligo't lahat lahat di ko pa nga nagagawa yung physics assignment ko eh kasi malapit na laro ng ginebra..

ayan pumatak na ang 8 nag online na ako sa twitter at sobrang proud ako sa twitter na sinasabi ko nga na "Sa atin tong larong to" lahat na ata ng forms ng cheering para sa ginebra natweet ko na..

ayun nagsimula na ang Game 7 ng Manila Clasico Semi finals, eh di sobrang excited na ako nung tip off. 

nung 1st quarter medyo lumamang ang San mig coffee, pero humahabol pa rin  naman ang ginebra kaya sabi ko sa sarili ko, "ok lang yan may 3 quarters pa" so ayun nanalig pa rin ako na babawi ang ginebra sa mga susunod na quarters.

eto na dumating na ang 2nd quarter at dito na ako nagsimulang mangamba kasi medyo umaarangkada na ang San Mig Coffee at ayun nga nakabuo sila ng 13 na puntos na kalamangan sa ginebra..

So dun ako medyo kinabahan, pero di pa rin ako nawalan ng pagasa.. Nung halftime inubos ko yung oras ko nun kakadasal na sana manalo ang ginebra this series kasi gustong gusto ko talaga na makuha ng ginebra ang panalo para mag finals na kami at matapos na ang matagal naming paghahabol sa championship..

So after ako magdasal ng magdasal, gumaan ulit feeling ko at bumalik yung feeling na hahabol ang ginebra..

Eto na 3rd quarter na.. at this time mukha na akong tanga dito sa bahay kasi parang ako yung coach kasi salita ako ng salita dito sa bahay kung ano dapat gawin and at the same time parang cheerleader din. humahabol ng onti ang ginebra pero sa dulo hindi pa rin makadikit.. kaya nagdasal na talaga ako ng nagdasal.. sabi ko "Lord sana talaga etong 4th qtr sa amin na talaga"

Pero mukhang kabaliktaran ang nangyari.. 

Pumasok na ang 4th quarter at tambak pa rin ang ginebra ng 12 pts. pero sabi ko "12 points lang yan! hindi naman tayo tinawag na never say die na team ng para sa wala"

Pero wala pa rin.. nakakascore nga ang ginebra pero mas umiiskor ang san mig coffee.. at nung last 5 minutes tambak na kami ng 16 points.. dun ako nawalan ng pagasa.. para akong hinulugan ng langit nung naramdaman ko na wala na talaga.. lalo na nung mga pumapasok yung mga tira nila james yap at PJ simon napakasakit.. parang tuwing papasok ang mga tira nila parang may tumutusok sa dibdib ko..

Pero eto ang isang part na nagudyok sa akin kung bakit ako napaiyak..

last 1 minute na.. hawak na Mac Baracael yung bola.. pinilit niyang magdrive sa basket.. pero na foul siya, at laking gulat ko nalang na pag focus ng camera sa mukha niya habang nagffreethrow, may luha..

dun ako bumigay at simulang napaluha.. hindi siya basta basta na pawis lang, nakita ko talaga na may luha siya.. 

kaya hindi ko talaga mapigilang maging malungkot at maluha sa nangyari.. siguro dala na rin sa pagkatalo ng ginebra at dahil na rin sa sobrang suporta ko sa kanila tapos makikita ko nalang na matatalo sila ng ganito.. 

ganun na ang nangyari sa araw ko.. nagsimula sa sobrang saya at nagtapos sa sobrang lungkot..

Iba kasi talaga ang dala ng ginebra sa akin.. alam ko minsan yung iba parang iniisip sa akin na weird dahil dito, pero hindi ako nahihiya. wala akong pakielam kung ano sabihin sa akin ng ibang tao basta ako I will just continue on being a Die hard fan of this team. Kaya etong pagkatalong to, siguro dadamdamin ko to.. wala eh ganun talaga pag die hard fan ka talaga para ka na ring nasa team.. 

Masakit talaga matalo.. pero dahil sa talong ito lalong lumakas ang pananalig ko sa grupo na ito, hindi ako titigil na suportahan to. mahal ko tong ginebra eh kaya kahit anong mangyari GINEBRA PA RIN Hanggang mamatay ako.. 

BABAWI ANG BARANGGAY! 

NEVER SAY DIE!! 

Coach ato and Coach Tim Getting at each other

Photo credit to Spin.PH

 Here's a picture of Coach Ato Agustin and Coach Tim Cone having an altercation at each other at the start of the 3rd quarter at the Game 4 of the PBA Philippine Cup Semis. Always Fun to see coaches to get at each other especially when it's Semis/Playoffs

Mark Barroca SMALL player but a BIG Revelation

Who is Mark Barroca? Why the sudden fame? 

Ok so first I'm going to tell you a short background of Mark Barroca's Basketball Career.

Mark Andy Barroca Graduated from the Far Eastern University (FEU) Where he played for 2 season. After Graduating from college he was asked to join the Smart Gilas headed by former Barako Bull Consultant Rajko Toroman. 

After his stint in Gilas, He joined the 2011 PBA Draft and was picked by the Shopinas Clickers (Now Air21) but then was traded immediately to B-meg (Now San Mig Super Coffee Mixers). 

At First he was just a reliever for Josh Urbiztondo playing just a few minutes off the bench. He was completely a unknown force in the Bmeg bench. They won a championship in the 2011 Comissioner's cup with Denzel Bowles as their Import. 

Still there were no Spotlight for Barroca..

But everything changed after the 2011 season, where Bmeg traded Josh Urbiztondo to Barako Bull, Everyone was shocked why did Bmeg traded their Shooting Point Guard. Coach tim said it is part of their rebuilding program and just to trust the decisions. Many said that Mark will have a hard time on replacing Urbiztondo's shoes for he was just a reliever at the bench. 

At first Barroca just started to play his game wasn't that sparky but he is now earning quality minutes of the bench. 

Little the fans know that this guy will be one of the future of their team.

Bmeg changed it's name to San Mig Coffee mixers. With the change of the name, Barroca recieved it's monicker and was called "The Coffee Prince".

After the change of name, Barroca's numbers grew.

During his B-meg days he averages: 5.4 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 1.1 ASP

And after just one season of the San Mig Coffee Mixers he now averages: 8.7 PPG, 3.7 RPG and 3.5 APG

Barroca became one of the main man of the San Mig Coffee Mixers and he was even compared to the late Johnny Abbarientos who is right now one of the Assistant coach of Tim Cone. Basketball Fans not just the San mig coffee fans started to love Barroca for everytime the San mig coffee needs a sparkplug, he's always there to provide that much needed spark.

His name even grew during this 2014 Philippine Cup season especially at the start of the 2nd round. San mig coffee struggled at the 1st round of this season and got a standing of the 8th spot at the end of the 1st round. 

But then Barroca and the San mig coffee mixers started to run in the 2nd round, they beat the top teams like ginebra, petron and rain or shine. And with every game, Mark's been always the man of the moment.

And now they've reached playoffs and made it into the Semi-finals which they face the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel. and during the 1st 3 games of the series Barroca has been a huge revelation for the San Mig Coffee Squad.

In the 1st game he got no score because Ginebra made a great adjustment for him not until the last 22.2 seconds of the game. Barroca was able to steal the inbound pass of Baracael and able to shoot the game winning shot in just one posession. 

In the 2nd game they loss a big margin to Ginebra led by Slaughter and Aguilar.

But in the 3rd game, Barroca Bounced back even scored his career high 25-points plus 8 rebounds and 5 steals and defeated the Ginebra

San mig Coffee now has a 2-1 advantage against ginebra.

You see? how can you not love this guy? He brings a lot of energy in the court and his heart for the game is what making him excell in this game. Yes Mark Barroca is just a Small player but he can go toe-to-toe with the big men. Why? it's because of his BIG heart, this guy wants to win he don't care about the pain he's getting, he don't care about the mismatches of the game, he just care about his game and how he can contribute for the team. 

I really never thought that Mark Barroca will be a huge impact in the PBA but then like they say; Looks can be deceiving. With how Barroca's playing today, I am pretty sure in the future he will be a superstar and end up being a Hall of Famer if he keeps up his good performance during his Basketball career