Cruising along

Teamwork.
(Photo credits to Sports5)

We could still recall when GlobalPort Batang Pier team owner Mikee Romero proudly declared that he was going to bring his basketball winning ways from the amateurs (PBL, ABL) into the PBA. We met it as just another positive statement, from a greenhorn who doesn't really understand how the true yet dirty hierarchy of the league works.

Specially for a farm team.

Which they said they were not. Which their fans bought into. Until of course, trades started to become the norm and elite or promising names (players and coaches) walked in and out of their team practices.

But lately, they've been winning.

All thanks to one man's vision, and another man's growing love/ hate reputation.

The man with the vision is Romero of course. He built this team, the same way he has always built his Harbour Center teams: gritty but entertaining, high-octane, helter-skelter and just true blue collar Pinoy basketball. Head coach Pido Jarencio has learned a lot during his time off from when he first coached a rookie core, to when he went on sabbatical, and to how he is right now.

Now we don't see Coach Pido making jokes or trying to grab the media's attention like he would in the UAAP. Now we see him just coaching, motivating his players and constantly shuffling his rotation to keep fresh legs on the floor. He has the tools to win, or at the very least be competitive, and has been working with it rather than the "I need my kind of players" thing he did just a season ago.

The man with the reputation?

Sophomore star Terrence Romeo (36 mpg 24 ppg 4 rpg 4 apg).

Sure, the 6 wins versus 4 losses can also be attributed to hard-working imports Jarrid Famous (43 mpg 31 ppg 24 rpg 2 apg) and Omar Krayem (26 mpg 14 ppg 3 rpg 3 apg). But ask any coach and they would always tell you that having a go-to-guy, a fearless leader on the court, will always be an advantage for any team. Hit or miss.

And that's what Romeo brings to the table.

He hits, he misses, but he is also fearless.

He wants to win. That's why he plays. Even when they are down by a big margin, Romeo is still trying to best his defender and put him to shame.

He's so good, you'd have to wonder why the "mother teams' haven't gone after him.

Well, that's the love/hate reputation comes in. Ball hog? Sure. But so was Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant and all the greats. Local? Nelson Asaytono. Kenneth Duremdes. Vergel Meneses. Mark Caguioa.

The bigger teams don't want to risk it at the moment, since they're all doing just as good. That's why Coach Pido et. al. don't have to worry about Romeo at the moment. Why they can just focus on winning games.

Stanley Pringle (24 mpg 15 ppg 5 rpg 3 apg)? You have a feeling that he could do more, that he could average 30 points if he wishes. But that is not the team's overall design. Romeo is the scorer. Pringle is the guy who will emerge as a star sooner or later. He's actually the best bet to "graduate" and be "harvested." Is the team playing him only 24 mpg to keep the big teams away? Probably. Probably not.

Another guy who has now find a niche is Doug Kramer ( 22 mpg 7 ppg 7 rpg). We've been fans of Kramer since his late Ateneo years, when he fully embraced the role of a high post screener/ jumpshooter on offense and rebounder/ enforcer on defense. Took him a bit of time in the PBA, but we're seeing just how effective he is this conference.

Famous does all the scoring in the paint. Kramer works off him. Romeo and Pringle take turns outside. Kramer does the screening and pick and popping.

The rest of the guys, from Ronjay Buenafe, Denok Miranda, Anthony Semerad, to Billy Mamaril, are all doing well. Say what you want about how Romeo sometimes "alienates" his teammates by going one on three/ four/ five, but everyone on the team seems to be happy with their roles and carry out their marching orders to a "T."

But, just like every other basketball story, how long before Pringle wants more minutes/ touches? Or Romeo goes berserk? Or Kramer starts calling out people to pass the ball?

Also, is Jarrid Famous the best import right now?

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