What a difference a coach makes
To the unknowing, every time a team wins, oh the players are great! When a team losses, the coach is no good.
The current Governor’s Cup of the PBA should add to the argument that a good team can only get better with an equally good coach. The success of Talk N’ Text is not an accident.
For me, Chot Reyes is one of the best tacticians in the country. Probably the reason why he is being given the task of heading the Philippine Smart Gilas campaign.
The drought in the Alaska Milkmen is not a matter of bad luck either. The same players, but different results.
When Tim Cone left, Coach Joel Banal could not extract any extra juice from LA Tenorio, Cyrus Baguio or Sonny Thoss. When Tim Cone was still around, even Samague Eman became a factor.
He confounded things by introducing a new system, away from the triangle, maybe adding to the confusion. When Banal resigned, Alaska went with the untested Luigi Trillo, who practically grew with most of the players, maybe causing more problems in confidence and discipline.
I am sure that the professional players of the PBA would know the capabilities of their coaches.
Tim Cone may have had relative success with B-Meg, but at least he has been able to keep the competitiveness of the team even with the departure of Ryan Gregorio. It is however Coach Yeng Guiao who is the best argument for our stand that even a good team needs a good coach in order for it to attain its potential.
Rain or Shine has never been a contender, even when the likes of Solomon Mercado and JR Reyes were still in the roster. None of the previous coaches has been able to coax the best from Gabe Norwood, probably one of the best Fil-Ams to come to our shores or rein in the horses of Ryan Arana, one of the most explosive players in the league.
With Yeng Guiao at the helm, every piece of the puzzle is finding its place. In Coach Yeng’s system, his players plays for him. Those who choose to free lance gets a reserved seat on the bench or taxi fare for home. Yeng Guaio is one coach who do not give special places for superstars. Those who insists acting like one gets to exit the wide open door out of the team.
On the other hand, Coach Yeng allows all his players to prove their worth, and achieve their highest potential. Jeff Chan, Bo Belga, JR Quiniahan and rookie Paul Lee have found themselves in Yeng Guiao’s system.
What is queer about the sytem is that it is not able to hold superstars. Superstars need to score, therefore more playing time. It just would not fit the system, because all twelve players are given equal time.
The instruction is whoever is open should take a shot, unless there is a better option.
A player need not think too much about whether to shoot the ball or not for the fear of being replaced if the shot is missed. By the time this article comes out, Rain or Shine may have won already its first ever championship in the PBA.
I am sure that the owners, who have been in basketball for more than a decade, know that much of the credit goes to Coach Yeng Guiao, who has won a championship in most of the teams that he has coached.
