Professionalism required By Kelly Williams

WE live in a time where the age of athletes who receive large salaries and lucrative endorsement deals is getting lower, seemingly, by the year. And though the necessary age to receive the wages may vary, the level of professionalism from the recipient should not.

From high school basketball phenoms signing multi-million dollar NBA contracts to teenage Olympic medalists endorsing products, to a corporation, it all boils down to one thing: marketability. This is not to take away from these highly talented and well-deserving athletes. Nowadays, however, the business/marketing end of these deals seem to weigh a little more heavily on who these corporations target than individual talent per se.

Twitter, Facebook and countless other social media sites have provided the world with access to even the smallest of achievements. It’s caused success to be perceived simply in outward appearance and dollar signs. It also produced a sea of self-promotion from individuals dying to be recognized among the Lebron Jameses and Gabrielle Douglases. How much these elite athletes earn is retweeted and shared throughout the internet daily. The cars, the houses, the things they attain is constantly flashed across the television.

But just as consistently shared on the web or fed through gossip TV is the ugly reality of some of the high-profile names. Unless you’ve been in isolation for the past few years, you’ve read about celebrities snubbing their fans, karate chopping their girlfriends or head-butting their spouses. Having high standards on and away from the camera has taken a back seat to obtaining outward success by any means necessary.

What’s your motivation?

As a professional basketball player in the Philippines for the past six years, my own small success gave me a glimpse of what true professionalism is. Whether observing from afar or living it through personal experiences, I’ve realized that handling yourself as a professional away from the bright lights is just as important as when you’re working in your element. Eager and motivated young players contact me weekly for information on how they might play in the Philippines. I’ve overheard amateur leaguers talk about what they want to buy, asking questions about salaries and game bonuses. I grew up believing that it’s never wise to count your chickens before they hatch, so I tend to deviate from those conversations. “If you work hard, have the right mindset and take care of yourself off the court, everything else will take care of itself” is what I offer to them. But from the looks in their eyes, I can tell that what I had to say was of no interest. And rightfully so. I hadn’t hit on any of the keywords or phrases like direct deposit, monthly, game bonus, and, but not limited to, housing allowance or “under the table.”

What most don’t care to consider is the quote from the most famous book of all-time, the Bible: “To everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded.” The frustrating truth is that a lot of talented athletes want all at once the fame and what fame can bring before proving themselves deserving of it. Another sad truth is that when some (not all) do finally make it to the top and are deemed worthy of celebrity status, they are eventually magnified in the media for a public display of stupidity.

Learn

In my modest experience as a sports mogul, I know that keeping an unblemished image in the public eye is difficult. Every misstep is susceptible to misconceptions spread through social and mainstream media. It’s not fair but that’s just how it goes, which is why being a professional entails much more than playing your sport and collecting a check. As a rookie coming into the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), handling myself off the court, though mentioned, was only slightly emphasized at the players’ orientation. I consider myself fortunate to have had faith, friends, and the trial and error of other players to act as a guide. You can learn how to conduct yourself as a pro if you put yourself in a position to adjust. If you’re one of the charmed athletes making millions or an up and coming cager with your sights set on super stardom, consider implementing these suggestions into your approach to your career:

• Money as a motivation is a mistake.

Once you sign your contract, let your agent deal with the upkeep. Average players focus on adding up numbers. You don’t want to be average.

• Coach is authority, whether you like it or not.

You might not agree with all of the coach’s decisions. Unless you can respectfully approach him about it, focus on what you can control: your performance. Don’t gripe. A poor attitude affects the team.

 • Wrong place/wrong time

You can’t help accidental mishaps. But you can lessen the odds of being in a bad position by cutting out the places that you know are unhealthy for you and your career.

• Bad company corrupts good character.

Keep people around you who have your best interests in mind and want more out of life than trying to benefit from your success. If your current “friends” are going nowhere, there’s a good chance they’ll cause you to go with them.

• Smile through the anger.

After a bad game, a loss or a frustrating day, people will still want photos, autographs or some sort of response from you. It would be wise to start practicing the Mona Lisa smile, keeping in mind that you won’t have to hold it as long as she did.

• Leave your pajamas at home.

It’s fine to dress nice and keep a fresh haircut or hairdo. If you’d rather downplay your fashion preferences, that’s fine, too. But don’t walk around the mall looking like you live on top of it and you only came down to catch breakfast.

• Vent frustrations to your friends via phone, text or email, not on Twitter.

Chances are, you have a growing number of followers and many eyes are watching your every social media move. Unless you’re looking for controversy, keep your status updates clear of bad referee calls, broken-heartedness and potty mouth (remember children are watching).

• Special handshakes are for teammates, not upper management.

With your team, you can flip the hands, jump, throw an invisible object in the air, and let the other shoot it down all you want. But when it comes to greeting the big boss, the management or the corporate heads, put the compact mirrors, cameras, double-slaps, backhand high fives and shoulder hugs away. Shake their hand with a firm grip, locking at the base between the index and thumb.

   

 • Media will do what media does.

There’s no way around the reporters who try to formulate rumors and expose every bit of personal info that they can. Don’t shun them, it’s just what they do. But also, don’t give them a reason to single you out.

• Stop complaining, put in the work.

The media, the inevitable hating, your gripe about the team system, whatever it might be, acknowledge it, then put it aside. At this point, the greatest control you have is over the amount of hard work you put in and your disciplines. So get to work!

Examination

Take a few minutes to examine yourself. What motivates you? What kind of impact do you think you have or want to have on your organization and those who look up to you? What kind of people do you surround yourself with? Are you ready to handle the hard work, dedication and self-discipline that it takes to be an all-around professional? Commit to conducting yourself as a true professional now, and it will help you become a person of great character after the contracts, fame and fortune are far gone.

Summary

If you allow the facts and figures of the star athletes to dictate your determination, your perception of success will be distorted. Understanding that there’s more to being a pro than merely playing the game will put you a step ahead of the average, if you choose to act on this knowledge. Being proactive in your approach to professionalism will not only lengthen your career, but will improve your overall approach to life and quite possibly open doors to other opportunities outside of your sport. As a professional, you have a platform: children look up to you, peers pattern themselves after you, and elders either point their grandchildren toward or away from you. Image isn’t everything, but a positive one can help you, your career and many (maybe even millions) around you.

Goodbyes never easy as Tugade calls it a career By Richard Dy

Lordy Tugade is one of the  most athletically gifted homegrown players to grace the pro league floor, armed both with graceful moves around the basket and a silky smooth touch from long range. Jerome Ascano

WHEN the PBA’s 38th season opened on Sunday night with pomp and pageantry, Lordy Tugade, once among its brightest stars, stayed as far away as he could from the Big Dome.
Tugade had looked forward to the festivities every year, and had graced it every time in his shining new playing uniform. For the first time in 12 years, he wasn't part of it - and the feeling, he said, wasn't nice.
“Masakit pa, eh,” Tugade, who decided to retire before the end of the season, told Spin.ph.
They say athletes are the only people in the world who die two deaths - the first when the realization hits them that their careers are at an end. It was no different with the 6-3 former Red Bull star.
“Though alam ko naman na dumarating talaga itong ganitong time sa isang player, pero iba lang, masakit pa kaya di muna ako nagpakita sa opening,” he said.
The 6-3 forward from Alaminos, Pangasinan was one of the most athletically gifted homergrown players to grace the pro league floor, armed both with graceful moves and a silky touch from long range.
Go ask Allan Caidic. The Hall of Famer considers Tugade one of the finest shooters of his generation.
He lived up to all expectations when he joined Red Bull, his best days coming during the 2005-2006 season when he made 153 of 393 shots from three-point zone - the most in his pro career.
His scintillating performances earned him his only PBA Finals MVP award while helping Red Bull to the Fiesta Conference championship, the franchise’s fourth in the pro league.
Tugade's career, however, took a dive when he left Red Bull as he bounced around from one team to another while injuries started to blight his performance.
He hit rock-bottom last season when he hit career-lows of 3.72 points and 1.5 rebounds in 13.31 minutes while an assortment of injuries limited him to just 32 games for the campaign.
Making things worse was the freak mishap he had during one practice with Petron. He was playing defense against former teammate Paolo Hubalde when, suddenly, he felt something snap on his right hand.
“Nung pina-check ko na, sinabi sa akin na nabali pala yung dalawang bones ng daliri ko sa shooting hand ko,” recalled the former National University Bulldogs star.
That turned to be the last straw.
Although Tugade was dealt last April by Petron along with youthful slotman Rabeh Al-Hussaini and Rey Guevara to Powerade in exchange for Marcio Lassiter and Celino Cruz, he never joined GlobalPort, the team that had bought the Powerade franchise in the offseason.
He decided to retire at age 34.
The pain of saying goodbye to his pro career still lingers, but Tugade finds solace in having prepared early for his post-PBA life. He now spends most of his time tending to his poultry business in his native Alaminos and maintains some apartments in Greenland, Rosario, Pasig that he rents out.
“Mabuti na lang nakapag-start magpundar ng maaga...Nakapaglaro na rin naman ako ng 12 years. Malaking blessing na din kahit paano,” he said.

source: http://www.spin.ph/sports/basketball/special-reports/goodbyes-never-easy-as-tugade-calls-it-a-career

Freedom, finally, for Nonoy Baclao

CARLO PAMINTUAN, GMA NEWS October 4, 2012 2:38pm

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He was consumed by paralyzing self-doubt; a career that had a ton of potential, suddenly stopped dead on its tracks. But even the bleakest of situations can have that little glimmer of hope. Even the toughest of times can serve a purpose. In the dark, a fire can be reignited as easily as it was extinguished.

Nonoy Baclao was drafted first overall in the 2010 PBA Draft. He was selected ahead of his more-celebrated frontcourt partner Rabeh Al-Hussaini, although they were picked by the same Air21 Express team. His selection as the first pick surprised a few, but team management said that it was to help build Baclao’s confidence and fast-track his way to PBA stardom.

He played a vital role on a struggling Air21 team, but even when they were losing a lot of games, the future looked promising for the franchise. They had a team comprised of young guys who would learn together and be a force in a few years time. This however lasted until their management decided to give away their first three picks to the San Miguel Beermen (now known as the Petron Blaze Boosters). Baclao, Al-Hussaini, and third selection Rey Guevarra all packed their bags for what were supposed to be greener pastures. And then, nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Baclao (right) saw precious little time as a Blaze Booster, often coming in when the game was already decided or when the team was beset by injuries or foul trouble. KC Cruz

“Nakakasira ng ulo, nakakasira ng kumpiyansa.” This was how Baclao described his days riding the far end of Petron’s bench. “Pero wala naman akong sama ng loob sa kanila. Ganun lang talaga ‘pag sobrang lakas ng team,” he added.

Baclao knew that he could contribute to the team, but with an All-Star cast of players, the coaches found it hard to give him some playing time.

Petron’s veterans tried their best to reassure Baclao. “Tiyaga-tiyaga lang yan, darating din ang oras mo,” Danny Ildefonso would tell Baclao. But it never came. He worked hard in practice but that one opportunity to prove his true worth never came. Petron saw something in Baclao, that’s why they traded for him. But they were unable and unwilling to give him the floor time to fulfill his potential.

Thus, #FreeNonoy was born, an internet movement aimed at forcing Petron to either give Baclao minutes or trade him to a team that would. The movement got what it wanted when Baclao found his way out of Petron and back into an Air21 jersey. And in his first game as a member of the Express, Baclao showed the Ube Republic exactly what he is capable of.

He scored 12 points in the first half of their game against Barako Bull Energy Cola. His career high before yesterday was 11 points. His former Petron teammates, who littered the baseline while waiting for their own game, were cheering Baclao’s every basket. At one point, he even approached Denok Miranda, one of his kuyas on the team, to give him a high five.

“Lahat kasi nung tira ko pumasok. Lumapit lang ako para sabihin sa kanila na parang birthday ko,” Baclao joked.

Although Barako Bull took the lead going into the halftime intermission, Baclao was the one called to be interviewed. I asked him if it was first time to be featured on the usual player interviews before the break. He replied with a meek, “Oo, okay pala.”

He continued to play his career game in the second half. In the fourth quarter, Baclao scored on a jumper to put his team up 83-82. He followed this up with a two-handed block on Doug Kramer to force a jumpball. It was a vintage Nonoy "Block-lao" rejection, reminding everyone of what he did to former-Green Archer Rico Maierhofer in the 2008 UAAP Finals. Franz Pumaren, current Air21 and head coach of that DLSU team, sure likes the feeling of having Baclao on his team for a change.

“Iba klaseng kumpiyansa ang binigay sa akin ni Coach Franz,” shared Baclao. “Kung player ka, kahit medyo mababa ang tingin mo sa sarili mo, ‘pag alam mong may tiwala sa’yo yung coach, gaganahan ka talaga.”

Nonoy Baclao moves to swat Barako Bull's Josh Urbiztondo, in what was perhaps his best performance to date in the PBA. KC Cruz

The game went down the wire. Barako Bull held a one-point lead with Air21 having possession. Baclao played a two-man game with Mark Isip but the two botched a play that resulted in a turnover and two more points to seal the deal for their opponents.

His last turnover was costly but these are growing pains.  It is the first time in his professional career that Baclao was actually involved in a play that would win it or lose it for their team. He used to watch plays like this on the far end of bench, without a single bead of sweat on his body. Now he gets to be a part of it and, for Baclao, there is no greater feeling. Baclao is free but freedom comes with a cost. In this game, freedom’s cost was the responsibility to carry this team to a victory.

“Masaya ako na nakalaro na ako ulit,” Baclao said after the game. “Halos isa’t kalahating taon din ako di nakapaglaro ng maayos.” He was disappointed about the loss but he was ecstatic that he was given the chance to play again.

It was hard to stay invested while playing for a team like Petron. Baclao had nothing to do in all their wins. He couldn’t do anything to avert any of all their losses. But with Air21, every win or loss will be partly because of him.

The legendary Jojo Lastimosa walked into the dugout after the game. “Huwag mo akong ipapahiya ha,” he told Baclao, whom he called his pick to win the Most Improved Player of the Year award. “Susubukan ko sir,” Baclao replied.

Baclao's time buried on a Petron bench filled with superstars was painful but reminded him just how much he loves the game of basketball. With Air21, he was just thankful for the opportunity to start again. Danny I, was right. Oras-oras lang yan. It just so happened that Baclao’s time came after he was traded to Air21, but his time came nonetheless. Baclao knows exactly what it feels to have his butt glued on the bench for the entire game and he’ll do everything in his power not to let that happen again.

“Alam ko na maraming naghintay na makita akong maglaro ulit. Sana lang di ko sila ma-disappoint.”


Nonoy Baclao's averages, over his three years in the PBA

Season	Team	GP	Mins	Pts	Rebs	Asts	Stls	Blks
2010-11	Air21 Express/Petron Blaze Boosters	35	18.46	3.40	5.17	1.11	0.20	1.49
2011-12	Petron Blaze Boosters	28	10.64	2.04	3.11	0.32	0.18	0.71
2012-13	Air21 Express	1	32.00	18.00	4.00	2.00	1.00	1.00

So we bid you adieu, #FreeNonoy. You consoled us when we were in pain. You gave us strength when it felt impossible to move forward. You can rest now and we hope never to see you again. - AMD, GMA News''

SOURCE: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/276828/sports/opinion/freedom-finally-for-nonoy-baclao

KayaTV: Episode 4 - Kaya Gangnam Style (Una Kaya Style)

 

24,119 

   

Meralco tests retooled roster against Talk ‘N Text; San Mig Coffee faces Alaska

InterAKTV · Friday, October 5, 2012 · 12:18 am

AKTV/Paolo Papa

Meralco tests its revamped roster when it faces defending champion Talk ‘N Text in their opener in the PBA Philippine Cup on Friday at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.
San Mig Coffee, formerly B-MEG, battles Alaska in the main tiff at 7:30 p.m.
The Bolts, now in the post-Asi Taulava era, brought in several players to bolster their roster led by Ronjay Buenafe, Carlo Sharma and Sunday Salvacion and rookie Cliff Hodge.
“I want to gauge our revitalized roster power against the defending champion,” said Meralco coach Ryan Gregorio.
“I want to see Cliff Hodge play against the big dogs in the league. I hope his energy can rub off on our other players,” he added.
Hodge is known for his intensity and defense and Meralco badly needs a player like him.
Talk ‘N Text, which will be handled temporarily by assistant Nash Racela, did not make any change to its lineup with Jimmy Alapag, Kelly Williams and Ranidel de Ocampo again the key players to watch in the All-Filipino tournament.
The Tropang Texters defended the Philippine Cup last season against Powerade (now GlobalPort), the first team to do so in the last 27 years.
In the main game, the Coffee Mixers of coach Tim Cone square off with the Aces, a squad that acquired key players during the off season in JVee Casio and Dondon Hontiveros.
“Our preseason was a little bit more disjointed than we would have liked. We’re not exactly where we want to be preparation health-wise. Still, our goal is to get out quickly and that makes the first game critical for us,” said Cone.
“Alaska on the other hand, has been sharp in the preseason so we expect a tough battle,” he added.
The Aces of coach Luigi Trillo won a preseason tournament in Cebu City. Their No. 2 overall pick, Calvin Abueva has to finish his commitments with San Sebastian in the NCAA before he can join the squad.

source: http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/meralco-tests-retooled-roster-against-talk-n-text-san-mig-coffee-faces-alaska

Sudden-death playoff set as Altas, Bombers blow chance By Karlo Sacamos

Calvin Abueva and the Stags prove too much for Chrisper Elopre and the Altas. Jerome Ascano

SAN Sebastian’s “Pinatubo Trio” finally returned to its deadly form, leading the Stags to an 80-62 victory over University of Perpetual Help on Thursday night that denied the Altas an outright spot in the NCAA Final Four at The Arena in San Juan.
Sluggish in the past few games, Ronald Pascual finally lived up to his capability as he combined with teammates Calvin Abueva and Ian Sangalang to power the Stags to their 12^th win in 17 games.
The win not only assured the Stags of at least a playoff for the second spot and the twice-to-beat advantage that comes with it, it also denied the Altas’ outright entry to the Final Four.
The Altas had been handed a golden opportunity to reach the semis outright after Jose Rizal University lost to Emilio Aguinaldo College, 65-71, in the day's opening game, but they never came close to overhauling a big lead the Stags built early behind their three big guns.
The Altas and Bombers, who finished the elims level at 10-8 win-loss, now square off in a sudden-death playoff for the final berth in the finals. The match is tentatively set on Thursday (October 11).
Pascual, the team’s designated gunner who shot just 3-of-33 from three-point territory and averaged six points in his last three games, finished with 18 points, all from three-point distance.
Abueva’s, the league’s reigning MVP, delivered another all-around performance of 19 points, 17 rebounds, and seven assists, two blocks, and two steals, while Sangalang, Abueva’s most probable successor, had 16 points, 16 boards, two blocks, and two steals in 39 minutes on the court.
Coming off two straight losses to Final Four contenders Letran and JRU, the Stags made some tweaks to their defensive game, which worked as they hardly faced resistance from the Altas for the most part of the game.
“Nagkaroon kami ng adjustments defensively. Buti nag-pay off,” said Stags interim coach Allan Trinidad, whose wards limited the Altas to a season-low 22-percent clip from the field.
After their defense clicked, the Stags’ offense followed as they led by a comfortable margin throughout and established a lead as many as 20 points, 61-41, after a Pascual triple midway through the third quarter.
The scores:
SSC (80) – Abueva 19, Pascual 18, Sangalang 16, Juico 13, Dela Cruz 6, Maiquez 3, Gusi 2, Vitug 2, Antipuesto 1, Balucanag 0
UPHSD (62) – Paulino 13, Vidal 12, Thompson 12, Allen 8, Arboleda 7, Jolangcob 4, Babayemi 2, Elopre 2, Alano 2
Quarterscores: 18-15, 46-31, 61-51, 80-62

source:http://www.spin.ph/sports/basketball/news/pinatubo-trio-erupts-as-stags-derail-altas-semis-entry-v02

Eagles draw inspiration from MVP battle cry as Finals near By Reuben Terrado

“Ako ‘yung tipo ng tao na ayaw matalo. Kung laging panalo, why not? I know my teammates are also hungry,” says Ateneo King Eagle Kiefer Ravena. Jerome Ascano

SAVE for a leak in the roof of their home gym, Ateneo's preparations for the coming UAAP men’s basketball finals have been going smoothly.
Heavy rains last Wednesday forced the Blue Eagles to move practice at the last minute to the Ronac gym in San Juan as the Moro Lorenzo Sports Center's leaky roof rendered the slippery court unplayable.
Upon returning to campus on Thursday, a huge tarpaulin installed on one side of the gym greeted the Blue Eagles. It contained a photo of Greg Slaughter going for a shot against UST’s Karim Abdul with the battle cry, 'We will finish what we started.’
It was the same exact words Ateneo’s former sports patron Manny V. Pangilinan told coach Norman Black when  he offered to resign in light of the businessman’s decision to part way with the school.
“It’s the first time I saw it,” said Black, obviously amused.
Another tarpaulin on the other side of the gym carried the words, ‘Defense wins championships,’ stressing what had been the Blue Eagles’ hallmark during its run of four successive championships.
But with or without those inspiring banners, the Blue Eagles are all pumped up as they enter the final stretch of their buildup for a rare fifth straight title.
“We’ve been practicing the entire week and basically trying to figure out how to attack the defense of UST and how to defend them,” said Black, two days before the much-anticipated Game One of the title series against the Tigers at the Mall of Asia Arena.
“We are eager to play,” said Ateneo sophomore sensation Kiefer Ravena right before the team's practice. “Lahat excited because we have a chance at a historic five-peat.”
Although they are so used to winning, the Blue Eagles insisted they are still hungry for a championship.
The Tigers may be in the midst of a six-year title drought, but that doesn’t mean they are the hungrier team between the two.
“Ako ‘yung tipo ng tao na ayaw matalo. Kung laging panalo, why not? I know my teammates are also hungry,” said Ravena.
“We have a lot of reasons to win this five-peat. For MVP, for coach Norman, for our seniors, and for our Ateneo community. We have to always keep that in mind and repay their support. Additional motivation ‘yun for us,” he added.
Slaughter, playing in his final year with the team, said, "for some of the guys including me, it’s the final two or three games so I don’t see why we can't give the best that we got."
The Tigers have been very vocal about being the underdogs in the best-of-three series, but the Blue Eagles believe they are very much capable of winning a championship.
“The way we look at UST, they are a very good and strong, well-balanced team. Coach Pido (Jarencio) seems to have a good feel of his players and it should be a difficult series,” said Black.
“For me, tao sa tao, isa sila sa match-up namin… Match-up for match-up, solid pareho ang teams. It’s a matter of executing, which team can execute better and which team will be more prepared,” Ravena added.

source: http://www.spin.ph/sports/basketball/news/eagles-draw-inspiration-from-mvp-battle-cry-as-finals-near

San Mig coach Cone wary of new-look Aces By Richard Dy

San Mig coach Tim Cone is looking to atone for the team's meltdown in last year's Philippine Cup, where the Mixers entered the playoffs as top seeds but ended up losing to longshots Powerade. Jerome Ascano

TIM Cone has seen too much of Alaska in the offseason to know his San Mig Coffee team will have its hands full against his former club when they make their PBA Philippine Cup debut on Friday night.
“They (Aces) beat us twice in the preseason. And they did that without Sonny (Thoss) and (rookie) Calvin (Abueva),” said Cone, pointing to the pair of tune-up games the two sides played in the offseason - one of which never got to be finished due to a dispute over a referee's call.
Alaska, surprisingly, made the biggest gains in an offseason that saw the team give up its best player, LA Tenorio. The man who took Tenorio's place, JVee Casio, has since been surrounded with enough talent  like Dondon Hontiveros, Cyrus Baguio, Mac Baracael, Tony dela Cruz, Nic Belasco, and Eddie Laure.
The rejigged team played well enough together to make the Aces the most impressive team in the preseason, raising hope that the Uytengsu franchise can turn things around quickly after one of the most disappointing seasons in the fabled club's long history.
 “JVee is a fit for the team. He opens the court for them because he gets a lot of screens and movements that allows him to shoot,” said Cone.
Cone's team will be without JC Intal and Joe DeVance and possibly Marc Pingris as well. The San Mig starting forward injured an ankle two weeks ago and remains doubtful for the team's season debut.
But what remains of Cone's lineup is still formidable. James Yap, PJ Simon and Yancy de Ocampo banner a team that reached the Finals twice last season and will be looking to atone for their meltdown in the Philippine up, where it made the playoffs as the top seed only to lose to Powerade in the quarterfinals.
Rookies Aldrech Ramos and Jewel Ponferrada are the only key additions to the team this season.
Meanwhile, Talk ‘N Text begins its title-retention bid with a game against new-look sister team Meralco squad at 5:15 p.m. at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
The Tropang Texters are a team in transition as former consultant Norman Black assumed the head-coaching duties as erstwhile mentor Chot Reyes is now full-time coach of the Smart Gilas 2.0 national team.
However, Talk ‘N Text’s assistant coach Nash Racela will be calling the shots for the time being as Black is still finishing his coaching duties with Ateneo in the UAAP.
The Tropang Texters didn’t make any roster movement during the offseason. And while Racela will be the one coaching the team, he’ll simply be implementing Black’s style of play that is geared more on defense.
TNT’s approach contrasts Meralco’s free-flowing style which coach Ryan Gregorio has put in place starting this season.
Gregorio said the team’s new system fits his two-guard scoring combo of Solomon Mercado and Mark Cardona.
“Sol is fantastic in this kind of offense. He can break down the defense and get into the scoring rack anytime along with Mac (Cardona),” said Gregorio.
Meralco recently lost Taulava to the ABL (Asean Basketball League), leaving Fil-Am rookie forward Cliff Hodge, Jay-R Reyes and Reynel Hugnatan to battle the Texters' big men, led by Smart Gilas 2.0 national mainstay Ranidel de Ocampo, Kelly Williams, Ali Peek, and Harvey Carey.

source: http://www.spin.ph/sports/basketball/news/san-mig-coach-cone-wary-of-new-look-aces