WHEN James Yap struggles, so does San Mig Coffee.
Moments after an 85-88 San Mig loss to Meralco at the start of their Commissioner's Cup quarterfinal series, Mixers coach Tim Cone was left to rue the poor health and miserable play of superstar James Yap.
“He’s just not healthy,” Cone said of Yap, who has been a virtual non-factor for six games now as he deals with the effects of a flu, lingering injuries as well as off-court issues.
“He’s not in game shape at this point. When we try to get him in game shape, his back tightens up so it’s been very difficult for him and very disruptive for the rest of the team because he’s the guy we rely on.”
Yap looked only a shade of the player he is, scoring just eight points while making just four of 10 shots - and none of his four attempts from beyond the three-point arc - in the match against the Bolts.
The two-time league MVP also played just 25 minutes as Cone chose a similarly struggling Peter June Simon to finish the game for the Mixers.
In all, the former UE star is averaging just 7.5 points and shooting just 32 percent (19-of-39) in his last six games.
Despite Yap's struggles, the Mixers built a big lead early against the Bolts but failed to put the game away, adding to Cone's frustrations.
“It’s just a frustrating game for us. We didn’t play the way we want to play,” said Cone. “We tried to fool around throughout the game and that got them momentum.”
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