The season is not yet done for GlobalPort but Pido Jarencio is already in high spirits after leading the squad to a franchise-best elimination record of 7-4 in the 2015 PBA Governors’ Cup.
After taking over the head coaching duties at the start of the conference, Jarencio kept all expectations low and made tinkering with the system to propel the Batang Pier to new heights.
“Nakita ko ‘yung mga mistakes at may mga binago ako. At the same time, I had a reflection kaya maganda ang takbo namin,” Jarencio said. “Lahat [ng expectations] binaba lang namin. Wala kayong narinig sa amin and even tune-ups, hindi kami naglaro. Hindi kami nakita. Yung 7-4, at least franchise-best. Maganda na ‘yun para sa amin.”
GlobalPort solidified its grasp of the twice-to-beat incentive in the playoffs by beating the Alaska Aces 117-104 Tuesday night to finish with the fourth-seed for the first time in franchise existence.
“Nag-improve a lot. It’s because of [Jarried] Famous, a 6-foot-11 guy na nagcomplement sa maliliit. That is a positive for the team,” Jarencio added.
The Batang Pier holds a league-best offensive rating of 107.2 and a net rating of +4.2, a major improvement from the last two conferences where it only had a +0.45 net rating.
In the quarterfinals, even with the advantage on paper, Jarencio is still keeping it low-key.
“Bahala na sa quarters. It’s a total team effort and at the same time this is for the fans and management. Overall, nag-contribute naman lahat,” he said.
“Defending champion ‘yun,” he quipped of the Star Hotshots. “Underdog kami rito. Mas experienced ang kalaban namin. Siguro maka-tsamba lang, okay na. At least twice-to-beat kami so no room for error sila.”
The mentor however sees a glimpse of hope after the squad defeated the Hotshots in the elimination round. Jarencio added just hopes for the best shot and see where the GlobalPort campaign ends.
“Sa elimination natalo namin sila so ‘yun ang motivation for the team. Pwede pala talunin ang Star Hotshots. Tingnan natin kung maka-tsamba. Bilog ang bola.”
*Photo courtesy of PBA Images
