Perry says Thoss or Sotto could be 1st pick

Perry Ronquillo said yesterday he is clueless on Shell’s plans for the coming Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) season but without trying to preempt his successor as the Turbochargers head coach, singled out 6-8 Joachim Thoss and 6-7 Ervin Sotto as possible first overall picks in the Jan. 16 draft.

Shell won a two-way lottery over Purefoods to claim the first choice in the coming draft.

"Big man ang kailangan ng Shell," said Ronquillo who resigned his job last Dec. 1 despite a year left in his contract. ‘"Without a dominant center, kinakapos ang team sa dulo. No problem with shooters–the team is stocked up in that department. Maybe, it needs a little bit of support at point guard. But in the draft, there’s no true center available except maybe, for Thoss, if you’re looking for someone to help out Chris (Jackson) in defending against Asi (Taulava) and Danny Ildefonso, or Sotto if you’re looking for an offensive big man."

Ronquillo, 38, said there’s also the option of trading the first pick for a marquee center who can make an immediate impact on the floor. He said Dorian Pena or DaVonn Harp would be worth trading for.

"Both Thoss and Sotto are still raw so they probably won’t be able to do too much right away," continued Ronquillo. "The decision will depend on the next coach, whoever he is."

Ronquillo said he’s not privy to Shell’s choice as next coach but mentioned the possibility of tapping John Moran because the American has worked as a private tutor for Turbochargers Tony de la Cruz, Mike Hrabak, Adonis Sta. Maria and Frederick Canlas.

"I don’t know Moran from Adam so I can’t comment on his ability," said Ronquillo. "I’ve never worked with him. But to give credit where it’s due, he’s turned Tony into a terrific player. In Tony’s first two years, he couldn’t really show what he could do because he was in and out of the league, finishing his studies at Irvine. In his third year, his confidence started to rise until this past season, he blossomed with Moran as his personal coach like Chip Engelland was Steve Kerr’s personal coach."

Ronquillo said he was grateful to the Shell organization for his nine years of service, six as head coach.

"The record may not show it but I think we did something right in my nine years with the team," noted Ronquillo. "We won two championships and went to four Finals. But I felt the time had come for the team to look for somebody else, for a new direction. In the recent years, we experienced growing pains. Sometimes, it was like I was talking to a blank wall in trying to get things done. I was disheartened but you can’t short-cut everything. There was a change in management and a reorganization so I felt that for me, it was time to go."

When Ronquillo gathered his players after a practice last November to announce his departure, it signaled the end of a colorful era. Chris Calaguio, Dale Singson and Ronald Tubid cried. Jackson, whose contract is tied up to Ronquillo’s, was shocked. But there was no turning back.

Ronquillo said it was a cordial parting of ways with Shell. "We had a good break," he added. "I was given a package to take care of the last year of my contract–not the full amount but I was thankful for it. I can’t complain."

Ronquillo, who once played for the La Salle varsity, was an assistant coach at Pratt Institute in New York before trying his luck here in 1991. "I struggled in the beginning," he recounted. "I came in with no padrino. There was a lot of pressure on me to perform but I had to succeed–I had no other choice. I coached in the PBL (Philippine Basketball League), in the PBA and briefly for Ateneo in the UAAP. Coaching Ateneo was a fun experience and I’ll always be grateful to Fr. Tito Caluag, Ernest Escaler, Ricky Palou and Chito Narvasa for it."

Ronquillo said he’s in no hurry to get back to basketball. "Maybe in one or two years, when I get excited and feel like a newcomer again," he said. "But not now. I’m enjoying my life with no stress."

Ronquillo took his wife Pinky and their three children–Bea, 12, Archie, 8 and Maggie, 2–for a three-week vacation to the US after his resignation. They arrived last Monday.

"It was a relaxing vacation," said Ronquillo. "I met up with old friends and relatives in Los Angeles and San Francisco. I took my son Archie to watch a Lakers game against the Warriors in Oakland. That was the only basketball link in our trip. I didn’t even watch NBA games on TV."

Ronquillo, who has dual Filipino and American citizenship because he was born in the US to Filipino parents, said he plans to go back to California for work in March. At the moment, he’s attending to his investment in "Smash Zone," an eight-court badminton facility in Las Piñas.

His New Year’s resolution? To lose weight–a lot of it, the portly Ronquillo replied.