Pido Jarencio is now in his eighth season at the helm for NorthPort. And the present-day Batang Pier, he said, is the most ‘exciting’ he has handled.
The straight-shooting mentor said as much when asked if he agrees with star guard Robert Bolick, who called his squad “pinakamagandang team” on the heels of their 100-86 win over Terrafirma for a 2-0 start in the 2022 PBA Philippine Cup.
“Actually, ito ‘yun. Kasi ‘pag practice, masaya lahat — coaches, players. ‘Yung communication namin bawat isa, walang ano,” offered Jarencio during the postgame press conference at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
“Naririnig niyo pa ba akong nagsisisigaw doon? Wala na. Relaxed na relaxed ako doon kasi alam na nila yung mga gagawin nila e,” he added.
NorthPort is off to its best start since the 2019 Commissioner’s Cup, which is undeniably impressive considering its predicament.
The ball club, to this day, remains undermanned. Several of its key players like Paolo Taha and Jervy Cruz are still out due to injuries.
And, they’re undersized too. Both Greg Slaughter and Troy Rike – indeed vital pieces of their frontline last season – have yet to return to the fold.
Photo by PBA Images
The offseason was quite challenging for the Batang Pier, especially with the contract negotiations with Slaughter. But Jarencio said that the team is hardly affected by any of that, as they’re all focused on the task at hand.
That has definitely paid dividends, with the team now sharing leadership of the standings with perennial contenders San Miguel Beer (2-0).
“Siguro may kailangan lang kaming mga player na importanteng player, pero kung ayaw naman mag-laro sa amin, anong gagawin namin?
“Basta kami, itong team na ‘to, ito ‘yung pinaka-exciting na team na nahawakan ko in my eight years sa NorthPort,” aid one of the greatest shooters in league history.
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