Trial and error

What now for "consultant" Pido?
(Photo courtesy of Sports5)

When Pido Jarencio made the leap back into the PBA, this time as head coach, it was met with a lot of positivity and with an "it's about damn time" hoopla. After all, he pretty much rebuilt the UST Growling Tigers men's basketball program and was able to turn it into the UAAP's Ginebra to counter the DLSU and ADMU (Purefoods and San Miguel-like stature) programs.

Unfortunately, he found himself in the wrong situation and maybe with the wrong franchise.

Jarencio was handed the keys to an up-and-coming GlobalPort Batang Pier squad with a passionate, win-now owner in Mikee Romero. However, he was unable to get the right kind of players that would fit his, uptempo, old school system (we're giving him the benefit of the doubt here, thinking that Jarencio would want to run his UST sets with the Batang Pier).

But could you really blame Jarencio for "failing?"

They lost R.R Garcia to Barako Bull, the team's top scorer and rebounder (when healthy) in Jay Washington to Talk 'n' Text and brought in several new pieces led by 2014 PBA Draft top pick Stanley Pringle BUT still managed to win four of their 9 assignments (as of this writing). Was that such a bad record to merit a dismissal (a promotion to team consultant status, which is just blah really)? Jarencio coached his team to respectability despite missing the services of star sophomore Terrence Romeo and the lack of a legitimate low post player (Yancy de Ocampo, young, healthy or otherwise, never truly merited a "low post big man" tag).

What did Boss Mikee et. al. expect this early in the season?

Yes, a trio of Pringle, Romeo and Alex Cabagnot is fun and exciting to watch on the court. But playing all three together, like most have cried for, also puts the team at a disadvantage defensively. Cabagnot's defense has always been shaky (he truly is the Filipino Steve Nash), Romeo's a willing defender if only to get his hands on the basketball for offense-- but his decision to lose weight in the offseason means he can no longer guard PBA 2-guards and Pringle is still a rookie learning the ropes.

Also, when those three play together, who comes in to replace them and run the show? This is where all the "exhausted" and "tired" talks come into play, despite having a relatively young roster.

Jarencio is not an X's and O's coach. Never was, will probably never be one. He's a player's coach. Unfortunately, Boss Mikee has grown weary of his speeches and sermons and has opted to look elsewhere. Franz Pumaren is a nice name being thrown out there to succeed Jarencio, but will he enjoy the freedom that Jarencio never really had?

One could only hope that Jarencio's successor gets the full support of the management, is allowed time to grow with the young roster and develop roles for players, and more importantly-- is able to hold on to his players for a full season. Instead of the team serving as a closet affiliate of one of the bigger franchises.