source: http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/2012-13-pba-preview-can-a-new-system-bring-order-to-petron
AKTV/Bannie O. Bravante
But with a new head coach and a new system being implemented, Petron coach Olsen Racela is preaching patience with this squad and says that management is taking the same approach.
“From management walang pressure. Sinabihan nila ako that they’re not expecting results right away,” said Racela. “And I’m not looking for a championship right away. My concern is how we improve as a team, the way we play. The result will take care of itself.”
And with Racela and team consultant Rajko Toroman installing a new system, a little patience might be in order.
“San Miguel since I had been playing has always been about execution. With coach Rajko, ganoon din sila sa SMART-Gilas before. So yun ang gusto namin dalhin sa team na ito — to be more of an executing team and to add to the defensive philosophy na dinala naman ni coach Ato [Agustin] two years ago,” said Racela.
If there’s one thing to look forward to right away, though, it’s the 6-foot-10 Fajardo, who will be stepping into the starting role right away. Racela says the rookie will play major minutes and will serve as the defensive anchor for the squad. He will be asked to control the rebounds as well, something the team struggled with when Dorian Pena was off the floor last year.
Mallari, too, will be part of the rotation with players like Marcio Lassiter, Chris Lutz and Chico Lanete still hurt as the season opens.
“My challenge right now is to get the players to play together. Yun ang tingin sa amin ng mga tao last year eh. That you have a strong lineup but that alone doesn’t translate to a championship. So you have to get them to play together,” said Racela.
PBA Preview: Air 21 | Alaska | Barako Bull | Ginebra | GlobalPort
Meralco | Petron | Rain or Shine | San Mig Coffee | Talk ‘N Text
Meralco | Petron | Rain or Shine | San Mig Coffee | Talk ‘N Text
AKTV/Pranz Kaeno Billones
Former coach Ato Agustin didn’t name any names when he hinted that the team had too much talent, and that some players need to sacrifice and play a role. But everyone knew he was talking about his two, uber-talented forwards who happened to be playing the same position.
Washington is the best offensive power forward in the league, with his unique combination of speed, athleticism, and lethal touch. He is damn near unstoppable when he gets rolling, and he might be the most dangerous offensive weapon in all of the PBA when he’s in rhythm.
That has put a crimp on the style of Santos, who is forced to move to the small forward spot. It’s important because when he’s playing the four-spot, Santos stays closer to the basket, allowing him to wreak havoc on the boards — which is how he led the league in rebounding last season — as well as anchor the defense by protecting the rim. When he’s playing the three-spot, he has to chase quicker guys around the perimeter, and he is reduced to a taller version of Jireh Ibañes.
Put it this way: when he’s playing power forward, Arwind Santos is decidedly Spider-Man. When he moves to small forward, he turns into Peter Parker.
Last season, Agustin tried to solve this problem by playing Washington at center, which made the team too small and too soft down low.
So there’s still that issue, and it’d be interesting to see how the brain trust led by Racela and Toroman deal with it. Maybe they’d be able to find a creative solution, or maybe they’d be force to choose one over the other. In any case, it’s something they need to answer for the franchise to be able to move forward.
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