Tuned out

Is Siot still in charge?

It's hard to be a coach in the professional league, specially if you're asked to steer the basketball scene's most popular squad which has the roster to make deep playoff runs night in and night out.

Tonight, Barangay Ginebra head coach Siot Tangquincen experienced what most coaches fear the most-- to be tuned out by his own team in the crucial stage of their Game 2 duel with the BMeg Llamados that they ended up losing. No timeouts were called when Ginebra clearly needed one to settle down the troops. Siot was frantically pacing up and down the court trying to get everyone's attention.


But not one player on the floor for Ginebra noticed him. Not one cared. Mark Caguioa, sitting out with the facial injury, appeared to have his teammates ear in the end. Assistant coach Alfrancis Chua was the guy players were looking to for reason.

Not the head coach.

Not Siot.

For all the titles he's won for San Miguel Corporation, Siot's style seems like it's run its course with these bunch of veterans. The spitfire, blow-my-top-each-game, motivational approach isn't working with the current mix. Not with a bunch of veterans who've been here and won big elsewhere. It worked a bit when they had the young guns in the fold such as JC Intal, John Wilson, Jimbo Aquino and Rob Labagala and all were getting their minutes.

But once Rudy Hatfield and Kerby Raymundo came in, it all went downhill for coach Siot.

Though equally fiery, Alfrancis Chua has that "kumpare" approach to his players which has worked in the past with Tanduay and Santa Lucia. It's the very same thing we're starting to see unfold on the Ginebra bench. Players look to the pony-tailed Chinito rather than the bald one. If that's not a sign for SMC brass to make a move for next conference, then I don't know what is.

There's also no one else to blame but Siot for his failure to integrated Kerby Raymundo into the offense. Yes, they've only been together for one conference, but good coaches could easily make it work given a player of Raymundo's skill and IQ.

Now that they're down 0-2 and getting squat from their import Jackson Vroman, then maybe it's time to shake things up. Jayjay Helterbrand hit some nice shots today, but he still looks rusty. John Wilson needs more time on the floor because, just in case you forgot because he's been cast as a defender (a damn good one too), the former NCAA MVP is a legit scorer-- just a title short of chief rival and former Ginebra teammate Jimbo Aquino.

Nino Canaleta should also be shown some man-love for blossoming into the sharpshooter he is today. Years back, this guy would set screens for James Yap at UE wherein the more established guard, instead of going over the Canaleta screen, would actually shoot OVER his taller teammate and their defenders. That was a money play back then for UE. Now? Canaleta is actually the more refined shooter of the two.

If Ginebra wants to make a comeback in this series (highly unlikely), then they need more than just scoring or playing D. They need a coach (Siot or Alfrancis) to get them in line quick.