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BY ADRIAN STEWART CO
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Wednesday, October 25, 2017
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Kia Picanto coach’s hands ‘tied to mgt decisions’
KIA Picanto head coach Chris Gavina admitted that he is frustrated with reports that his team is set to trade their top overall pick in the 2017 PBA Rookie Draft to San Miguel Beermen.
In an interview during the Draft Combine on Monday, Gavina said that, as much as he wants Picanto to keep the draft rights, his hands are tied to the decision of the team management.
“In my position, you got to kind of live with what you can get sometimes and really just look to how we’re going to improve with what we have,” said Gavina, who took over the chores from former playing coach Manny Pacquiao.
“It comes down to really development,” he added. “We’ve already started with our skills training as early as last week, probably the first team that came back, so we moved forward from there.”
It is nothing new if ever Picanto decides to give up its No. 1 pick for a number of role players from All-Filipino champion Beermen, Gavina said.
“When I first took over in 2015, we gave up our pick and we got legitimate veterans for it, and wounded up having a great season,” Gavina said. “So whatever happens, I’m really looking to add some veteran leadership on this team.”
“If we can get that, I think we’ll be able to form a formidable team next year,” he added. “I’d love to keep the pick, but you know, there’s some higher powers that be that might not agree.”
With the unexpected injury to backup guard Solomon Mercado, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings guard LA Tenorio was forced to play lengthy minutes during their Game 5 win over Meralco Bolts on Sunday.
From his usual below 30 minutes of playing time, the former Gilas Pilipinas guard logged in 40 minutes on Sunday, where he finished with 17 points, six rebounds, four assists, and three steals.
“Actually Coach Tim was apologizing to me because of the extended minutes, but I told him it is just fine. This is the championship series. I can rest naman after the finals,” Tenorio said.
“So if I have to play for 48 minutes (on Game 6), I’m ready,” added Tenorio. “I told coach Tim, even next game, I am ready to play lengthy minutes. We don’t have Sol now yet.”
Tenorio, considered the league’s “Iron Man” for not missing a game since he entered in 2006, hopes that Kings can wrap up the championship series tonight for him to have his rest and deal with his injury.
“We have to be aggressive for 48 minutes. We cannot be aggressive for three quarters or three-and-a-half quarters,” Tenorio said. “Hopefully, next game, madala namin ito. We know na what to do, so we did what we’re supposed to do.”
“But for sure what we did in Game 5 was not enough for the next game,” he continued. “For sure, they’re (Bolts) going to adjust, so we just have to double our effort if we want to close out the series.”/PN
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