CHICAGO - Just like that, a PBA conference that started at 6-0 and dripping with championship potential ended abruptly in heartbreak at the altar of unmet expectations.
Despite a twice-to-beat advantage over seventh-seeded TNT, the No.3-ranked Magnolia Hotshots were eliminated in the quarterfinals, twice beaten in close, winnable games.
With history repeating itself in a familiar, horror-like fashion, the "Introvoys" tag continues to stick with Magnolia like the stench of nicotine in a smoker's breath.
PBA TAKEAWAYS: Magnolia heads to another uncertain offseason
Shortly after they were dismissed from the PBA Philippine Cup, Magnolia coach Chito Victolero addressed his team in the locker room where he thanked the players for their hard work and apologized for the cruel ending to their conference, multiple sources told me.
The Hotshots have an extended break before reassembling in time for the league's October 2 return to play, but the question beckons: Will Victolero be back?
If it were up to the jilted Magnolia fan base, coach Chito would have already been fired before he could even go to sleep and have Kelly Williams nightmares last night.
UNTOUCHABLE.
Luckily for Victolero, he is according to sources a "direct hire" by SMC owner Ramon S. Ang, making the 49-year old shot-caller untouchable.
But after being at the helm since the start of the 2016-17 campaign, a tenure laced with a 2018 championship but smudged with so much bitterness in recent years, you have to wonder if the Purefoods franchise needs a new voice.
The knee-jerk reaction, one based on anger and frustration, is to terminate Victolero immediately. But the more sensible move is to keep him for another conference or two.
But a change in philosophy is needed. It's time to hand over the keys of the offense to Zavier Lucero and trust the young players, the bunch that carried the team to a strong start but were later famished for playing time in lieu of the veterans in the two TNT debacles.
"I think he panicked a little bit. He changed his rotation and went away from what worked early in the conference when they were on top," a former PBA coach who requested anonymity told me on Saturday night.
While Victoelero capitulated on which player to put in and when, TNT's Chot Reyes marvelously shuffled his deck in a way where Mike Nieto played in meaningful spurts while Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser reminded us that he was the No.1 overall pick in the 2022 PBA draft.
REPLACING A COACH ISN'T AS EASY AS SAYING "YOU'RE FIRED."
Who do you replace him with?
"A coach with a western influence," said an observer, while pointing out the changed fortunes at Meralco where Nenad Vucinic is doing wonders as active consultant not to mention Ateneo's continuing evolution under Tab Baldwin.
Not gonna happen.
If RSA decides to pull the trigger, Magnolia's potential new coach will be chosen in-house.
Who exactly?
Richard Del Rosario, Juno Sauler and Jason Webb come to mind. All three are qualified and entrenched in the SMC bloc.
Ultimately, though, I think Chito stays.
"He hasn't lost the locker room," a player told me.
That might be good enough to save Chito's job.
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