Dr. J behind the scenes

He shies away from the limelight. That’s his style. Andy Jao, also known as Dr. J because of his clinical approach to basketball analysis, isn’t the type to grab credit or thump his chest. He’s content taking the backseat.

But you and I know Dr. J’s value as a consultant for Red Bull. Yesterday, I got Dr. J on the phone to talk about what it was like on the Thunder bench during the recent Samsung Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner’s Cup Finals. It took some wrangling for Andy to speak out–like pulling teeth–but because we go back a long way, he finally obliged.

Andy admitted he’s the guy who contacts all sorts of agents to find the right imports for the Thunder. He brought in Tony Lang last year. And he managed to convince Sean Lampley to fly in as Lang’s replacement before Game 4 against Talk ‘N Text in the Finals.

"Sean’s a good scorer and a leader," said Dr. J who was coach Tommy Manotoc’s chief assistant when U-Tex won the PBA Open Conference title in 1980. "In Game 7, you saw what he did to get the team to play harder. He constantly talked to the guys. He’s young but he provided the leadership we needed in Game 7."

The other night, Andy disclosed that Lang phoned long distance from Japan.

"Tony told me he’s sad he couldn’t be a part of it (winning the championship)," related Dr. J. "He was happy for us, happy that Vonn (Harp), Junthy (Valenzuela), Julius (Nwosu), Sean, and Jinwell (Torion) played well. I assured him we appreciated what he did for us–that he brought us back to the Finals. He mentioned that sometimes, you don’t mean what you say in the heat of the moment and he’s sorry if he hurt anybody’s feelings."

Andy confirmed Lang’s ailment. "Tony had an MRI which showed a tear in his groin muscle," said Jao. "He went straight to Japan from here and the Japanese doctors ordered complete rest for 10 days. He’ll even miss his first game in Japan on Sunday. Tony told me he would’ve played hurt if he stayed here. But after Game 3, when he limped off the court and (team manager) Mr. Tony (Chua) asked if he could play in Game 4, he couldn’t be sure. We couldn’t risk going down 1-3."

Andy said before the Finals, there was apprehension in the Red Bull camp if Lang would play 100 percent because of his close friendship with Talk ‘N Text’s Jerald Honeycutt. "But we also know Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan are good friends and they slugged it out in the NBA (National Basketball Association) Finals in 1994," continued Jao. "So that wasn’t a consideration–it’s if you don’t play well or you play inconsistently or you get hurt."

Dr. J said everyone contributed to Red Bull’s win–in one way or another.

But he cited Torion’s contribution, in particular. "For me, Jimwell was the MVP of the Finals," noted Jao. "He showed courage and guts, harassed the opposing guards, and adjusted to his role of setting up our offense when he’s more of a scorer."

Andy said coach Yeng Guiao coached brilliantly throughout the conference and reserved his best for the last. "The key to our victory in Game 7 was Yeng playing Julius like a one-man zone," explained Jao. "That took away Honeycutt’s post moves and forced him to shoot from outside. In Game 5, Honeycutt was on target from the perimeter and we lost. But in Games 6 and 7, he struggled. Yeng’s adjustment was crucial. Again, in Game 7, Junthy had difficulty defending against (Pete) Mickael who kept going to his right. Edmund (Reyes) did a better job of denying position. Then, Yeng put Sean on Mickael in the fourth period and that did it."

Jao thanked Guiao for his confidence. "I’m grateful to Yeng for allowing me to talk to him during games," he continued. "Sometimes, he’d react.

Sometimes, he wouldn’t. That’s okay for as long as I’ve given him some other options to consider. At practice, Kirk (Collier), who’s our main scout, and I talk to Yeng about strategy and gameplanning. We work as a team. Roehl (Nadurata), Rudy (Hines), and Gil (Lumberio) also join in."

Jao said in Game 6 when Red Bull looked for a leader, he suggested for Yeng to use his time outs. "The players respect Yeng and I thought since we looked for a leader, he had to be more assertive during timeouts," he recalled. "Sure enough, the guys always did something positive after listening to Yeng."

Red Bull is expected to report for practice in the first week of October.

"The guys are tired," said Jao. "Sean left the day after we won to rejoin the Miami Heat camp. He has no guaranteed contract with Miami–that’s why we were able to bring him over since we offered something guaranteed.

Julius left Sunday for France where he’ll register as an import. Then he’ll go to the US to rest. He’ll be back in France to play starting November. Vonn is in Subic but he’s already sent word he plans to work out in a gym tomorrow."

In the All-Filipino Cup, Jao said he expects Noli Locsin, Nelson Asaytono, Reyes, Anton Viloria and Valenzuela to play their guts out–if only because their contracts are expiring. A player he hopes will blossom is rookie center Homer Se.

"We signed Homer to a three-year contract," said Jao. "He’s a Dennis Rodman-type. He goes after every rebound, offensive or defense, import or no import. He’ll give Vonn a lift. He’s a banger and a tough competitor.

He’ll get his chance to show what he can do, probably in the All-Filipino."

Jao said he couldn’t be happier at Red Bull. "Some teams are supposed to be interested in asking me to help out but I’m not interested," continued Jao. "Mr. George (Chua) and Mr. Tony have been good to me. I have no contract with Red Bull but I’ve been with the team since the PBL (Philippine Basketball League) in 1999. I couldn’t ask anything more from the Chua family."

What Dr. J misses is appearing on TV to share his hoop insights. "Sure, I miss it," he sighed. "That’s why I enjoyed the experience in the last NBA Finals. I asked Mr. George for permission and he allowed me to go because I think he knew how much it meant to me. I missed a game for Red Bull because of the NBA Finals. That’s how Mr. Chua is–that’s why I appreciate him so much."

A lot of hard work, blood, sweat and tears went into Red Bull’s campaign to retain the Commissioner’s Cup. It was a total team effort that lifted the Thunder to victory. Take a bow, Dr. J, for contributing a lot to the effort–even if he’ll admit it only to close friends.