Pido Redux

Depensa muna bro
(Photo credits to the owner)

"Pride, puso, palaban."

These three words served as Global Port Batang Pier head coach Pido Jarencio's battle cry when he first made a name for himself, outside of playing amateur and pro-ball, along the sidelines with the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers from 2006 to 2013 (with three UAAP Finals appearances and a championship to display). The same battlecry was what Jarencio said he will bring into the PBA when he was hired by the Batang Pier in 2014, only to finish the season with an abysmal 2-16 win-loss record.

They "fired" him, brought him back as team consultant, and is now promptly back calling the shots in the PBA Governor's Cup wherein the Batang Pier are surprisingly ahead of the pack with a 3-0 win-loss slate which is arguably the best start in Pido's young PBA coaching career. For stat lovers, the Batang Pier are averaging 94 ppg on 42% 2-pt, 40% 3-pt, 52 rpg and 18 apg (with 15 topg) versus their opponents' 79 ppg, 37% 2-pt, 13% 3-pt, 47 rpg, 14 apg and 16 topg.

So what changed between Pido's first time out and this one?



The men on the roster and Pido's approach to the game.

In 2014, Jarencio was given a "young" team that featured a redundancy of talent headlined by two (quietly) head-butting egos in former UAAP MVP college teammates RR Garcia and Terrence Romeo. They also picked a very raw "wouldn't even dominate in the D-League" center in Isaac Holstein and a vastly over-rated but clearly PBA under-sized tweener (too short to play power forward, too slow/ limited skillset to play the wings) in Nico Salva.

Then there were the veterans in Jay Washington and Sol Mercado, both of which were traded somewhere in Pido's first year.

In 2015, management has chosen between Garcia and Romeo, and based on what we have seen this year-- made the right choice on all front with Garcia looking more comfortable as a PBA role player than what his college pedigree would suggest. Then there is also this year's favorite to win the Best Rookie award, Stanley Pringle (19 mpg, 17 ppg, 3 rpg, 2 apg) , whose level of maturity born from playing all over the world, basically makes him a "veteran" at this point in his basketball career.

Then, there are the players that Pido had wanted all along: those who characterize his famed 3Ps. The Batang Pier squad were able to add veterans Denok Miranda, Doug Kramer and Billy Mamaril during the break between the PBA Commissioner's and Governor's Cups which is now proving to be a sound investment on their part,

For one, just look at their 52 rebounds per game stat vs their opponents' 47.

No, it wasn't because they had an NBA import Patrick O'Bryant in the mix. No, it's because Kramer was added to the mix and is the team's current leading local rebounder with 8 a game in only 21 minutes played.

Miranda, for his part, is playing only 12 minutes but is the steals leader with 1.5. That, plus the fact that whenever he is paired with Romeo, there seems to be a clear understanding on who calls the shot-- Kuya Denok. We have never seen Romeo (34 mpg, 21 ppg, 5 rpg, 3 apg) this happy just roaming around and waiting for the ball to come his way (because it always will), but not until Miranda sets the floor up and ensures that the proper spacing is observed. We also love the hustle non-stats being contributed by Keith Jensen.

Oh, and not to mention that solid Asian import of theirs, guard/ small forward Omar Krayem (26 mpg, 13 ppg, 3 rpg, 3 apg) who is a very smart and efficient player all-around (something expected from Euro-bred Middle East Asian players).

Just how far can Pido take Romeo, Pringle and co. this conference, and beyond?

Better yet, and not to burst anyone's bubble, but how long before a "mother team" makes "the call" to bring up either Pringle or Romeo?