MANILA---When he took the job, coach Bo Perasol clearly understood that his Powerade Tigers would need more than just a facelift to earn their stripes.
Two years later, Perasol and team manager JB Baylon feel the complete makeover should transpire right after this year’s Philippine Basketball Association Annual Draft.
The Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines-owned franchise has two first-round draft picks and a pair of second rounders in the rookie lottery projected to be richer than previous years.
Perasol is looking to exercise his first two picks on available Smart Gilas Pilipinas players in the draft set in August while the next two will be used on collegiate standouts outside of the national team.
“If we don’t get a big man in the first round, we’ll settle for a point guard and a wingman,” said Perasol, who is in his fourth conference with the Tigers. “In the second round, we’ll just pick the best talent available.”
A former team captain of the UP Maroons in the 90s, Perasol, and his coaching staff composed of George Ella, Alex Compton and Ricky Dandan and management led by the ever-supportive Baylon are also open to trades, anything that will make them in step with the league’s elite.
These moves, Perasol stressed, could hopefully pull them out of a long-running rut where the Tigers finished no higher than seventh place in the last five conferences.
“This is the culmination of the two-year program that I presented to management,” said Perasol. “We better start winning and instill in the minds of the players the importance of those victories.”
He said the winning attitude should start in the coming PBA Commissioner’s Cup before a potential transformation begins next season.
Wingman Gary David, the league’s leading scorer in the Philippine Cup with 21.5 points per outing, 6-foot-4 import Russel Carter from University of Notre Dame, forward Will Antonio, center JR Quiñahan and Celino Cruz will form the Tigers’ starting unit in the import-laced conference.
Also part of the regular rotation are Chico Lanete, Dennis Espino, Rob Reyes, Mark Macapagal, Norman Gonzales and Ricky Calimag. Jai Reyes, Sean Anthony, RJ Rizada and Francis Allera complete Powerade’s depth chart.
“Eventually, the imports will cancel each other out, leaving the locals to carry the fight,” said Perasol.
He said the target in the Commissioner’s Cup is to finish in the top 6 after the single-round eliminations. The last four teams in the standings after nine games will be disqualified from the playoffs.
The long-term plan, however, is to stay competitive and beat Talk ‘N Text, San Miguel Beer, Barangay Ginebra, Alaska and B-Meg Derby Ace, teams Perasol considers as the league’s most talented ballclubs.
“We have to prove to ourselves that we belong in this league,” said Perasol, whose Tigers wound up ninth in the PH Cup with a 3-11 win-loss record. “We have to fix the mentality that we’re used to piling up loses.
“Part of the solution is to slowly make a change in manpower, after which a change in mental approach should set in.”
Under Perasol, who replaced Kenneth Duremdes in the 2008-2009 Fiesta Conference, the Tigers have traded and released veteran players Nic Belasco, John Arigo, Mark Telan, Aris Dimaunahan and Asi Taulava to name a few.
“I felt that what we had wasn’t geared toward the future so we decided to take a step back and went into a rebuilding process,” said Perasol, who had a 19-27 record with the Tigers.
Looking into the future, Perasol is thrilled with the possibilities of the coming Draft.
Point guard JV Casio, forward Mac Baracael, the defense-oriented Marcio Lassiter and team skipper Chris Tiu are among the Smart Gilas mainstays the Tigers would like to have.
“I hope our sacrifices will pay off with the picks that we have,” said the coach. “Our team will get better and we are
set to eliminate the losing mentality.”
Though the Tigers are in a position to snag the top-notch rookies in the draft, he explained the desired results would not materialize right away.
“The transformation requires time and patience,” said Perasol. “We’ll be in a situation where we can achieve our goal depending on the outcome of the draft.”
Champions in the 2002 All Filipino Cup and the 2003 Reinforced Conference, Powerade is far from accomplishing a similar feat.
But Perasol and his Tigers hope to get back on the winning track, starting by putting together the right pieces and restoring that winning mentality.
June Navarro, Phil. Daily Inquirer
