MAGNOLIA and Blackwater both want to put their recent heartaches to rest and should start doing so when they collide Saturday in a match opening up their PBA Philippine Cup campaign at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
With the return of gunner Sedrick Barefield from injury and the acquisition of BJ Andrade, the Bossing are hoping to start off on the right foot and from there go deep in order to put their sorry campaign in the last Commissioner's Cup behind them.
With Barefield, the second overall pick in last year's Rookie Draft sidelined by a foot injury after just four games, Blackwater wound up with a 3-9 record in the mid-season tourney and ended up at 11th among the 13 teams.
For its part, Magnolia managed to squeak into the quarterfinals, but got bundled out by top-ranked NorthPort in just one game.
While outlining his Hotshots' preparations for this season-ending tourney, coach Chito Victolero also ordered his players to watch the seven-game championship series between eventual champion TNT and Barangay Ginebra.
Sponsored content:
"Pinapanood ko sila ng finals, nitong huli, para makita nila kung ano nawawala sa amin para makalaro sa finals," related Victolero.
"Kung ano'ng klase ng laro kailangan, kung ano ang at stake. Kumbaga, hindi naman inggit although malapit-lapit na doon... makita lang namin kung gaano kasarap maglaro para sa championship," added Victolero.
"We want to bring back 'yung aming, kumbaga, deep playoffs aspirations."
The one-time Coach of the Year awardee could not be faulted for trying to instill such a mindset among his players as Magnolia has now failed to get past the quarterfinals for the second straight conference.
"Medyo laging doon lang sa umpisa, sa quarters lang," noted Victolero, maintaining things should change in the tournament the franchise has won six times before.
Sponsored content:
Among the top priorities for Magnolia, according to Victolero, was to try and limit the injuries that have plagued the team in the recent conferences.
"Isa iyon sa binigyan namin ng pansin, together with the medical staff, kung paano mag-stay healthy mga players in terms of rest, recovery period," expounded Victolero, adding some tinkering in the Hotshots' game was also done.
"May mga ipinasok lang kaming ibang approach, defense and offense," revealed Victolero. "Masaya naman ang mga players. In-embrace nila, in-adopt nila, so tingnan natin this conference kung 'yung mga adjustments namin maging maayos."(NC)
