Racela's Team... Or Not

Coach O and "assistant" Coach T

It's only fitting that a team packed with superstars but have yet to discover their true identity on the hardcourt would have two "voices" hollering from the sidelines. There's the "official head coach" of the Petron Blaze Boosters in Olsen Racela and his trusty "assistant/ team consultant," Serbian coach and International basketball guru, Rajko Toroman.

Based on basketball pedigree alone, it's pretty obvious which one should (and would) take the lead as far as handling the team is concerned. It's pretty doubtful to believe that Toroman will just play assistant while Racela, though a winning amateur coach in international meets, takes charge and draws up last-second plays. The San Miguel organization has proven before that they don't really care much about their coaches' feelings or mentality (asking Jong Uichico to "co-coach" with Siot Tangquincen at Barangay Ginebra San Miguel was disrespectful in everyone's view save for San Miguel brass), so it's probably more like keeping a budding and promising mind like Racela in the family (before Team MVP swoops in and asks him to coach Ateneo or a professional affiliate) while milking Toroman's genius within the context of keeping the Basketball Coaches' Association of the Philippines happy.


So what does this mean for Racela, Toroman and the Boosters?

Think of it as an updated version of the Ron Jacobs-Jong Uichico partnership that delivered a bunch of Finals appearances and titles for the San Miguel Beermen of old. Only, Uichico never really had Jacobs sitting on his bench while he was head coach. Racela will have a chance to learn from the best, and unlike his predecessor Ato Agustin, is young and unproven enough to be molded into something more.

When Toroman was brought in, there were obvious clashes with Agustin. Agustin mind you, came off coaching his teams to an NCAA title AND a PBA title. His style obviously worked to some degree, so why would he even bother to adjust his playbook to a coach who hasn't won big in the PBA? Again, the argument here is that Toroman coaches international, FIBA-style basketball while the PBA (and NCAA, UAAP, PBA-DL and so on) are played to fit the NBA rules which rewards and puts an onus on isolations rather than set plays. Even the defensive sets are different.

With Racela, who has "only" coached in the international level, Toroman will be able to have his way with the amount of respect he's bound to be given. His opinions will be heard and not brushed aside, and this is probably the best case scenario for all parties concerned.

Of course, as a fan, you'd just want to end all drama and have Toroman as the official head coach and move Racela to a more fitting assistant coaching position but that's just not how basketball politics goes around here.

This writer prays that Racela is given enough breathing room to be his own man-- probably by Year Two (not this year of course, when it's vital that Toroman be the one to really set things up and organize their redundant roster). For the Boosters, they need to create some kind of identity-- be it on offense or defense.