Winless but hopeful

Only one team remains winless in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) All-Filipino Cup but not for long or at least, that’s what FedEx coach Derick Pumaren hopes.

FedEx has a big, fat egg in the win column after two outings and plays Purefoods in the first game of today’s doubleheader at the PhilSports Arena.

Things haven’t been rosy for the Express since joining the league last year. FedEx placed sixth in the Governors Cup, seventh in the Commissioner’s Cup, and 10th in the All-Filipino Cup to compile a lowly 14-19 record overall.

In the offseason, coach Derick Pumaren cleaned up the FedEx roster and brought in a slew of recruits. Gone were Gido Babilonia, David Friedhof, Zaldy Realubit, Biboy Simon, and Pumaren’s younger brother Dindo–probably the best player not to be included in the PBA’s all-time list of top 25 players.

Without a first round pick in this year’s draft, FedEx chose four rookies from the pool–John Ferriols, Bruce Dacia, Kalani Ferreria, and Mike Bravo. Ferriols, 28, was the sole survivor, inking a P10.8 Million three-year deal to play for the Express.

From the free agent ranks came Roger Yap, Omanzie Rodriguez, Marvin Ortiguera, and Gherome Ejercito. The holdovers were Vergel Meneses, Yancy de Ocampo, RenRen Ritualo, Jerry Codiñera, Wynne Arboleda, Ryan Bernardo, Egay Billones, and Danny Capobres.

FedEx is bracketed in Group A with Alaska, Purefoods, San Miguel Beer, and Sta. Lucia Realty. Only two of the five teams in the group will advance to the semifinals so it’s critical to win over the other during the double-round eliminations. That adds importance to today’s FedEx-Purefoods game since both teams are in the same group.

Besides, there’s someone in the FedEx cast itching to prove a point to Purefoods. Yap, 25, was the Tender Juicy Hot Dogs’ first round pick in the 200l draft but after two years, was left out in the cold. Pumaren picked up Yap from the unemployed list and gave him a new lease on life.

Despite FedEx’ lowly showing last season, there were bright spots for the team. Codiñera led the last All-Filipino Cup in free throw shooting at 95.2 percent and Bernardo was tops in field goal marksmanship at 65.2 percent. FedEx was No. 1 in free throw shooting at 85.5 percent as Meneses and Ritualo joined Codiñera in hitting over 90 percent from the line. The Express was No. 2 in average steals (6.0), transition points (9.9), and offense (75.2), indicating the foundations of a scrappy and fastbreaking unit. And it was No. 1 in average turnover points at 18.1–another building block for Pumaren.

On the downside, FedEx was last in defense (giving up 81.2 points a game), last in three-point shooting (26.4 percent) and second to the last in assists (12.8).

Glaringly evident was FedEx’ weakness in defense. The team gave up the most fastbreak points, 11.1 a game, so transition defense was clearly a soft spot. FedEx also allowed opponents to score 48 percent from the field–the highest in the league. In the PBA, defense separates the men from the boys so Pumaren’s got his work cut out for him.

Meneses, 34, is the team’s spiritual leader. If he’s in sync, it rubs off on his teammates. There’s still no more slippery one-on-one operator than Meneses. He’s got to be conscious of the importance of his role in the team. If he plays poorly, chances are his teammates will play poorly, too.

It’s not easy to get a revamped team to jell in a snap. Defense suffers when a team isn’t used to playing together. Pumaren’s finding that out. He’s got five new faces in the lineup and without Dindo playing point guard, chemistry has been a problem. FedEx is still in the process of developing a personality–character, as coaches like to put it–but it’s getting there.

Arboleda, 26, must step up to assert his leadership on the floor. He’s Dindo’s heir at point guard and he’s got to make sure there is fluidity on both ends. In a halfcourt game, it’s essential that FedEx’ outside shooters are provided screens to open up things for the big men. The ball can’t stagnate in the hands of any one player because motion is essential in fueling the offense.

Pumaren’s consolation is his nucleus is highly competitive. De Ocampo and Ritualo are among the PBA’s future stars–they were both first round picks last year. Codiñera and Meneses bring a wealth of experience to the table. Ferriols, a rookie, is slowly finding his place in the sun. Arboleda and Yap make a fiery backcourt tandem. The problem is Pumaren’s bench isn’t too deep.

FedEx is hungry for a victory–it has lost 11 of its last 12 games dating back to the previous All-Filipino Cup. To break out of the doldrums, the Express must play with a lot more intensity in defense. Will the Express finally crash into the win column today?

Postscript. Past contest winners Jacinto Nicdao, Francis Figueroa, and Vincent Galope have until this Friday to claim their prizes. Otherwise, the prizes are forfeited. Please call Babes at 527-6007.