Blackwater head coach Jeff Cariaso admitted that his team has been facing challenges on and off the floor which play a huge factor to the Bossing’s struggles of late in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup.
Cariaso said the team is not only dealing with injuries to its key players, including RK Ilagan and Sedrick Barefield, but he also revealed that some of them are expectant fathers so their focus has been divided.
And that’s exactly the reason why the former player turned coach was just proud of how his team which braved through the storm to end a four-game slump with a 96-86 win over Terrafirma.
“It hasn’t been a smooth road for us, this conference. I’d like to say our will, our intensity, just our mindset are always being challenged,” said Cariaso.
“We have to understand that this is part of basketball and that was one of the things I tried to express to the boys. And tonight, they stepped up and they were ready. I told them tonight was a must-win game. Pretty simple,” he added.
Blackwater improved to a 2-7 record, good for the 12th spot. The Bossing still have the chance to reach the playoffs but they need to pile up victories in their remaining games to give themselves a shot to advance to the next round.
Even with the struggles, Cariaso lauded his wards for the professionalism as they continue to find a way to juggle their time between their job and with their families.
“Guys are always there because that’s what’s asked of them. So we try to be there as much as we can, but minsan the mindset diba your wife is in the hospital, needs a checkup, so that’s an additional challenge for them,” said Cariaso.
“Again, what I told them is that, it’s part of what we do as professionals. You have to understand that those sacrifices and those challenges come. Kasama ‘yun,” he added.
The Blackwater mentor, though, remained optimistic of their chances, noting that the team only needed to settle in once it got its key players back in the fold.
“The adversities that we had during this conference, is really just that—the injuries. Guards are going up and down the lineup. It’s difficult to get settled in and to get a flow,” Cariaso stressed.
“Once we establish guys that we want to pretty much settle down with, and go with, and have a real basic foundation in regards to our starters, then, they’ll be more established,” he added. (JADEN ALBERTO, Intern))
