The Great Encore

Coach Chot needs to go out with a bang

Zero and two.

It''s been a while since we've seen the Talk 'n' Text Tropang Texters anywhere near the bottom of the standings-- let alone actually be the last placed team. We've put an even bigger emphasis on this fact since all teams will only be playing nine games in the current PBA Governor's Cup eliminations format. That means, Coach Chot Reyes only has seven games left to salvage a Semis appearance which is being challenged at the moment by a slew of injuries to his key personnel.
The team's "franchise player" and reigning PBA Most Valuable Player, Jimmy Alapag, just flew in and appeared to be off his game a bit. Ryan Reyes is battling all sorts of aches and pains (he's the PBA's version of the forever-injured Miami Heat forward Mike Miller), Kelly Williams is hobbling, workhorse Harvey Carey is tired and the guy who's going to take the mantle from Alapag, Jayson Castro, needs at least a year off for playing the way he has the last two years (which is just Godly to say the least).

You'd think with such a deep roster, the Texters would still offer a good fight (which they did last night versus the Air21 Express). Import Paul Harris is back, but he was always more of a complimentary piece rather than a go-to-guy which they clearly need if their stars are not able to perform up to par. Jarred Dillinger, Larry Fonacier, Ali Peek and Ranidel de Ocampo are still A-listers in the PBA, but they are also battling some nagging injuries here and there which makes it tough.

Should Coach Chot reinvent the offense and run it through someone else?

Again, we're just two games into the conference. The Texters could very well win six of their next seven games and make everyone look like asses. That's the beauty of the game.

While the starters take time to heal, the onus is on RDO, Fonacier and Dillinger to form their own version of a "Big Three." Coach Chot was correct in saying that he has to be a better coach for his team, since he was clearly running the same style of offense for the wrong guys. Fonacier can't run all 40 plus minutes of the game. Ditto with RDO who is more suited to a half court game.

Japeth? Hah.

Can't wait for Coach Norman Black to come in and get his ex-Atenean slotman focused.