From good to great

Barangay Ginebra coach Tim Cone shared valuable insights on what makes a basketball team advance from good to great during the La Salle Green Archers’ UAAP season send-off Mass and lunch at the Makati Diamond Residences last Sunday.

To start things off, Cone told his green-blooded audience of his affiliation with the Taft school. He said his father-in-law Carlos Viaplana and brother-in-law Eddie were former La Salle players and his wife Cristina studied at La Salle, too. So if there’s any school he’ll cheer for in the UAAP, Cone said it has to be La Salle.

Cone came from an open Ginebra practice at the Flying V Arena in San Juan, something coach Robert Jaworski introduced as a treat for the fans back in the day. It’s a way to say thanks to Ginebra’s legion of loyal never-say-die fans. Cone said since starting his PBA coaching career in 1989, every game has been a challenge from Alaska to Purefoods and now, to Ginebra. But with Ginebra, the challenge is tougher than it’s ever been.

“No game is ever easy with Ginebra,” he said. “It doesn’t matter whether we play a team that’s up in the standings or at the bottom. That’s because when we play, we bring out 12,000 to 14,000 fans. Other teams don’t bring out as many fans. So when they get a chance to play us, they play their best, they want to show thousands of fans what they can do, they’re out there to beat Ginebra.”

Cone said turning a team from good to great involves taking care of the big and little things. “We know what the big things are – rebounding, making free throws, defense, execution – but doing the little things also makes a big difference,” he said. Cone’s attention to detail is what sets him apart from others. He comes well-prepared for every game and so does his team. Among the little things are setting a proper pick, boxing out and covering for a teammate. What it boils down to is discipline, doing what the team needs from every player and making it a habit.

Cone said John Wooden, the fabled Wizard of Westwood who coached UCLA to 10 NCAA titles in 12 years including seven in a row, never scouted an opponent because his focus was on the Bruins, nothing else. “It didn’t matter to coach Wooden what the opponent did because his team was prepared to do whatever it took to win,” he said. “He didn’t need to scout, he was secure in knowing his team would win.” The key was preparation.

Cone also mentioned that Miami coach Erik Spoelstra once told him the willingness of a player to win is measured by his willingness to get back on defense. That’s the yardstick. It’s fun to score but it’s hard work to play defense.

On the topic of physicality, Cone said LeBron James remarked that when other teams resort to rough stuff in trying to take him out of his flow, he just smiles it off. “When you complain that a referee isn’t giving you a break, if you think the other team is getting away with fouls that aren’t called, if you’re bothered by a teammate’s mistake or your own, then you’re just being selfish,” he said. “A player’s role is to play within the team concept. It’s not about him, it’s about the team. The coaches will take care of complaining to the referees. That’s not a player’s concern.”

La Salle coach Aldin Ayo said he’s listened to Cone speak in different events and it’s always a learning experience to hear from an accomplished tactician. “You can see in coach Tim’s eyes how competitive he is,” said Ayo. “He’s nice and accommodating off the court but once the lights are on, he’s very strict and demanding which is how it should be. From Alaska to Purefoods to Ginebra, coach Tim established his system and players bought into it. Once everyone absorbs what he wants, then it’s smooth sailing. Every move he makes has a purpose. We saw what he did at Alaska and Purefoods with their Grand Slams. Now, he’s doing it with Ginebra.”

When it comes to taking hits, Ayo said the coaches must show they’ve got the players back. “Ideally, you take a hit, absorb everything and don’t show it affects your game,” he said. “It’s up to the coaches to show support for the players, if not, they’ll look at you differently. Pride is involved. You don’t want to be a cry baby. We know it’s about being tough, showing patience, playing your game, not theirs.”

Cone recalled that when his team San Mig Coffee battled Rain Or Shine in the 2014 PBA Governors Cup Finals, the Mixers had to play through the Elasto Painters’ physicality. Rain Or Shine tried to intimidate San Mig Coffee into submission but the Mixers hung tough with import Marqus Blakely shaking off the rough play to lead the team to victory. It’s that kind of toughness that makes a good team great.