Javi Gomez de Liano gave a reminder of sorts of how serviceable he could be when given the chance after submitting his best game in a long while to help Magnolia rebound in the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup on Wednesday.
Averaging just 3.44 points prior, the deadshot winger knocked down a troika of four-pointers and finished with 18 points to help lead his side to an easy 135-98 victory over Titan Ultra, which pumped life into their quarterfinal aspirations.
Crucial was the former KBL star in their second-quarter pullaway, nailing two of his 27-footers to contribute in their 34-point explosion for a commanding 61-41 lead at the break, which signalled the start of a lopsided show in their favor.
“Nakakamiss,” said Gomez de Liano, who also collected five rebounds and three assists, after the match at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, when asked how it felt to have played that nicely again, which led to a Player of the Game citation.
It was a totally understandable feeling for the 27-year-old out of UP, whose minutes suffered heavily as head coach LA Tenorio remains in the process of finding the best possible combinations that could yield the most success.
The former star playmaker turned bench tactician wouldn’t hide how difficult this entire learning process has been for him, more so for his own men.
“It’s hard, I mean, as a player, ramdam ko rin naman ‘yan eh–naramdaman ko rin ‘yan,” said the 41-year-old.
“It’s hard. But we really just have to find ways to get the right mix and unti-unti, makuha rin ng players ‘yung role nila.”
In a perfect world, Tenorio could’ve given every Hotshot a chance, but he, too, is very much cognizant of the reality that he cannot. But now, he and the entire brain trust are starting to come up with solutions to their “good problem.”
“Medyo nakukuha ko na ‘yung tamang timpla dito sa team na ‘to,” said the former Gilas Pilipinas Youth mentor. “Kasi, the hardest part of being a coach, I realized, is sobrang daming talent ngayon, especially sa team namin.
“Just like now, anybody can score, anybody can contribute on defense and offense, but we really just have to find ways to utilize them every game,” he furthered. “Mahirap, but it’s a good problem for me.”
And a good example of their progress shall be the dominant win over the Giant Risers, which saw a total of five players finish in double figures, including Gomez de Liano, who submitted a season-high performance in scoring.
Tenorio could only express gratitude to the seasoned internationalist and the rest of his team for staying patient while they all figure things out.
“What I like about my players is the fact that they’re always ready and they’re buying into that system, and they’re buying into that responsibility,” he said.
“Siyempre, hindi naman puwede lahat magkaroon ng bola; hindi puwede lahat maka-shoot. It’s just a matter of them doing it every time they’re on the court, they have to do something positive for the team, whether it’s on offense or defense.”
“That’s what I like with this team, nakukuha na rin nila,” added Tenorio, who’s currently in his second conference at the helm of Magnolia.
Gomez de Liano, for his part, is trying to be as professional as he can be, vowing to be ready whenever his number gets called–all while absorbing whatever he can playing behind his more distinguished seniors.
“Like what Coach LA said, anyone can really contribute at any given game, and it’s just all about getting ready for the opportunity,” he said. “I know it’s tough like playing behind Mark [Barroca] and Paul [Lee], those are two legends.
“On my end, I’m just trying my best to absorb what I can learn from them and hopefully, when It will be my turn, I could reciprocate and do the exact same thing to what they’re doing in this team.”
