JOHNEDEL Cardel understands the nature of the PBA business following his exit as Terrafirma head coach.
But he wished circumstances should have been largely considered behind another letdown of a campaign by the Dyip in the PBA Governors’ Cup that led to his unceremonious departure.
“Naging good soldier naman ako,” said the 54-year-old coach as he tried to find the words to describe how he felt about the sudden fate he suffered in a franchise he learned to nurture through thick and thin, through good times and bad.
“But again, part ng basketball yan,” added Cardel.
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Just last week, the Dyip parted ways with their coach of the last six years following the team’s failure to make the playoffs of the season-opening conference, limping home with a woeful 1-9 record.
Not that he is making excuses, but the former PBA player and national team standout from De La Salle said injuries to key players and the need to develop team chemistry again after a mega-trade factored in another letdown.
“Puro injured yung players ng team, halos 10 lang yung naglalaro, minsan siyam nga lang,” said Cardel, citing the injuries to top scorers Juami Tiongson and Christian Standhardinger.
It didn’t help either that original import choice Brandon Edwards suffered a knee injury just a week before Season 49 kicks off, leaving the team scampering to bring in a last-minute replacement.
They did find one on short notice in former reinforcement Antonio Hester. But Hester was already back with his family in the US after a stint in the Indonesia Basketball League (IBL) and wasn’t in game shape when contacted.
Expectations were also high following the arrival of the 6-foot-8 Standhardinger after being acquired in a trade with Barangay Ginebra along with Stanley Pringle for the duo of Isaac Go and last season’s Rookie of the Year Stephen Holt.
Of course, Rome was not built in a day.
“Kailangan mo ulit i-work yung chemistry ng team,” said Cardel, adding besides Standhardinger and Pringle, two rookies in Paulo Hernandez and Didat Hanapi also came on board for the Dyip, while veteran gunner Kevin Ferrer returned to the active roster after a one-year absence recuperating from a torn Achilles.
Meanwhile aside from Holt and Go, the Dyip also lost Javi Gomez De Liano and back-up players Eric Camson, JP Calvo, Gelo Alolino, and Allen Mina.
De Liano opted to take his act in Korea, while Camson, Calvo, Alolino, and Mina were all released after Season 48.
This same roster had just reached the playoffs for the first time in eight years in franchise history when it dragged the highly-favored San Miguel Beermen to a sudden-death Game 3 during the Philippine Cup quarterfinals.
But management decided to break up the Terrafirma core and went after Standhardinger and Pringle to anchor its campaign in tandem with Tiongson.
Despite the abrupt roster change done just a month before the start of the season, the Dyip competed, Cardel pointed out.
And even after the exit of Standhardinger and Tiongson, Cardel said the team didn’t lose its desire to win.
“Nakita naman natin gaano gustong manalo nung mga bata,” said Cardel as the Dyip finally nailed a close victory against TNT after near misses against playoff teams Converge and Magnolia.
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Shortly after Terrafirma’s conference ended, the veteran coach, a native of Mandaluyong, was called to a meeting by top management where he was eventually told about his departure.
Cardel thought, he would be given instead another position within the franchise, only to find out later on he was totally out of the team.
His top deputy Raymund Tiongco took over as Dyip head coach, with AC Valdenor being rumored of taking over as team manager as Ronald Tubid could possibly become a full-time assistant coach along with Raymond Gavieres.
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Cardel admitted getting hurt by the abrupt decision by which he was given the pink slip by the franchise.
To while away time and mend his bruised feeling, he went with the group of Filipino-Chinese businessman and player Achit Kaw which competed in a tournament for 50-and-above in Guangzhou, China and won the title.
“Doon muna nagpalipas ng oras. Nag-enjoy ulit sa paglalaro,” said Cardel.
Soon in time, Cardel sees himself going back to coaching. As they say, you can’t put a good man down.
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