MONEY was not an issue when former Red Bull star Junthy Valenzuela answered the call to coach the rejigged Cebu Greats in the MPBL on short notice.
Valenzuela said he got wind of how the team representing his beloved province was reduced to fewer than seven players amid financial issues involving the former owner and lost games left and right, including an embarrassing 66-point defeat at the hands of the Batangas Athletics, 65-131.
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This made it easy for Valenzuela to say yes as soon as new team manager Jhon Santos called.
“Actually, hindi ko alam nangyayari sa team until mabasa ko na ganun na nga, na anim lang daw players tapos grabe ang tambak. Para sa'kin syempre masakit yun. Kasi ilang beses ko rin sinuot ang bandila ng Cebu kaya alam ko ang pride at halaga ng bawat laro,” said the former Ginebra guard.
“Isa rin yung rason 'yun talaga kaya napunta ako dito, dahil sa mga isyu. Alam ng management ngayon na pagdating sa laban, ang mga Cebuano hindi nagpapahuli tapos ganun ang nangyari,” he said.
Though the new Cebu team is faced with a gargantuan task of turning around a 4-12 win-loss campaign, Valenzuela is wasting no time. Upon arriving from Cebu on Monday morning, the 46-year-old pride of Bogo, Cebu proceeded to the Greats practice at the Bagong Pag-Asa Multi-Purpose Gym in Quezon City.
There, Valenzuela rallied his players of mostly newcomers and tried to install a system that was easy to learn ahead of their road game against the defending back-to-back MPBL national champions Pampanga Giant Lanterns on Tuesday.
“Mabigat ang laban, kaya kailangang makuha agad natin ang system. Bawat game ngayon mahalaga. Wala na tayong oras. Kailangan nating bumangon,” Valenzuela told his players during the 10 a.m. to 12 noon practice where he was joined in the coaching staff by Letran Knights great Ronjay Enrile and fellow Cebuano Corvi Concepcion.
Pressed for time
Pressed for time, Valenzuela immediately ran drills that can be easily executed by his returning players Jann Niccolo Jamon, Lean Martel, Dolan Adlawan, Ken Holmqvist, Mark Meneses, Brylle Ivan Meca and newcomers Paul Desiderio, Jun Manzo and Reeve Ugsang.
Former Rain or Shine banger and sniper JR Quinahan also took part in the drills while another former PBA starter Paolo Hubalde is sidelined with an ankle injury.
Former Cebu Classic stars Darell Manliguez and Boom Boom Tampuz failed to join them in practice as the two just arrived from the provinces where they played in ligang labas t make a living after the non-payment of their salaries.
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Valenzuela said he wants to adopt the system of his former coach at Red Bull, Yeng Guiao.
“Syempre, dun ako natuto, dun ako nagkapangalan kay coach Yeng, subukan ko din 'yung sistema n'ya at kung paano n'ya idisiplina 'yung mga players. Subukan natin ng walang superstar,” said Valenzuela, expecting help from another Guiao protégé in Quinahan.
“Tutulungan daw ako ni JR na patakbuhin ang system kasi kailangan naming magmadali. Wala na kaming time na magpakiramdaman pa,” he said.
Meanwhile, Cebu’s pioneer guard Jann Niccolo Jamon expressed optimism at the new chapter in their team’s career.
“Ibang-iba po ang atmosphere ngayon kasi puno na kami ng kumpyansa. Nakakatuwa nga po kasi dito kami nag-eensayo ngayon sa Bagong Pag-Asa. Bagong pag-asa talaga to sa team namin. Gagawin namin lahat para maitaguyod ang pangalan ng Cebu,” said the former Emilio Aguinaldo College hotshot.
With 13 games in their season, can the Cebu Greats turn it around?
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