Mobiline coach Eric Altamirano called his celebrated center Asi Taulava "a changed man" and said he expects bigger things from the 6-10 Fil-Tongan in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) this season.
"Asi's lost more than 10 pounds in two weeks," gushed Altamirano who nearly gave up on Taulava when he reported for camp about 20 pounds overweight. "He's very determined. He wants to prove himself to everyone, including me -- he wants to make up for last year."
Altamirano admitted Mobiline was close to trading Taulava. "We thought about trading Asi but in the end, we decided we're better off with him," he said. "Our whole team supports him. Despite all that trade talk, I'm impressed at the way Asi handled the situation. He never lost focus. He continues to work hard at practice, running every morning on his own then reporting for 2 1/2 hours a day in the afternoon with the guys. There's a drastic change in Asi's attitude -- I hope he keeps it up."
A rumor floated that Taulava has broken up with girlfriend Anna Mae Corveau, a former Binibining Pilipinas candidate. Is that why Taulava is more concentrated on his job? Altamirano's reply was simply no comment.
Although Mobiline didn't make it to a single semis last season, Altamirano said the disappointment produced something positive.
"It was a learning experience," explained Altamirano. "We played with a lot of pressure last year -- we couldn't cope with the expectations. Now, we've got a new outlook, a different approach. We want to enjoy the season and as we go along, we'll build on our experience."
Altamirano said this year's lineup is a lot more balanced.
"We used to be loaded with guards," he continued. "We used to try to win games on defense. We worried about other teams instead of other teams worrying about us. Now, we're more balanced in terms of offense and defense. We've become taller and quicker so we'll be able to create matchup problems. We've got the ability to score from outside and inside. We're more versatile in offense. We'll be an exciting, up-tempo team."
Mobiline has 11 players on its roster at the moment. Altamirano said he's still evaluating whether or not to add another player. There is talk that Bong Ravena is interested in joining the Phone Pals.
Gone from last year's lineup are Jeffrey Cariaso (to Tanduay), Robin Mendoza (released on his request), Bryan Gahol, (to Shell), Glenn Capacio (to Red Bull) and TonyBoy Espinosa (to Batangas in the Metropolitan Basketball Association).
The holdovers are Patrick Fran, Al Solis, Boyet Francisco, Eric Reyes, Josel Angeles, Jerry Codiñera and Taulava.
New arrivals are Jherome Ejercito, Don Camaso, Gido Babilonia, and Victor Pablo.
"Jherome's a 6-3 point guard who can score and play with poise, just like Johnny (Abarrientos)," said Altamirano. "I've been trying to convince Jherome to play in the PBA since 1998. He's a nice kid, tahimik lang, and a good leader inside the court. He's a humble guy but at the same time, he's confident and cocky. We owe his cousin, Mayor Jinggoy Estrada of San Juan, a debt of gratitude for allowing him to play in the PBA."
As for Camaso, Altamirano said the 6-7 forward is quick, lean, and a high leaper. "He's quicker than Danny Ildefonso and he's a natural outside shooter although Danny Siegle has more range on his shot," added Altamirano. "He plays three or four. His drawback is a lean frame -- he's got to bulk up to bang bodies."
On Babilonia, Altamirano said he was lucky to find the 6-7 center available. "Expired na `yung MBA contract ni Gido," related Altamirano. "We were looking for a backup center. Swerte lang kami he was unsigned. It's hard to find a backup center in the PBA. That's why we looked in the MBA."
Pablo came in via the Cariaso trade. "Vic plays like Jeff only he's bigger," said Altamirano. "We were lucky to get him, too."
The Pablo trade was triggered by a snag in renegotiating Cariaso's expired contract.
"We offered Jeff a two-year contract but he asked for five years," disclosed Altamirano. "We had to do something. Shell wasn't interested in Jeff -- they wanted a tall player. Tanduay was interested in Jeff so we worked out a three-way trade. Tanduay's a good team for Jeff -- the team fits his style and it's a contender. We're happy for Jeff. Shell got its wish -- they got big guys (Mark Telan and Gahol) and we ended up with Vic."
Altamirano said Bogs Adornado is no longer in his coaching staff but Frankie Lim, Ryan Gregorio and Leo Isaac are back.
Team owner Manny Pangilinan has provided the team an inspirational lift, pointed out Altamirano. "Mr. Pangilinan is on top of the situation -- that's a big morale boost for us," he revealed. "We meet with him constantly. He's excited about the coming season -- he's very upbeat."
Next month, Altamirano will take the Phone Pals to Tagaytay for a three to four-day team building session.
Altamirano said his goal is to qualify for the semis in the All-Filipino Cup starting Feb. 20 then "we'll build from there." He singled out San Miguel Beer, Tanduay, Alaska, and Purefoods as the top contenders in the coming tournament.
And of course, there's Mobiline.