JAMES Yap had another miserable shooting night for San Mig Coffee in Game Two of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals on Thursday, but coach Tim Cone remains positive the shots will eventually fall as he keeps faith in the two-time MVP.
Yap was a non-factor in the Mixers' 82-75 win over the Air21 Express as he scored only five points on 2-of-14 shooting from the field. In all, the former University of the East standout is 3-of-20 from the floor in the best-of-five series against the Express.
Cone, however, said his faith in the San Mig superstar is unwavering, adding that Thursday was Yap’s best game this conference notwithstanding his shooting woes.
“I was pleased to see James Yap come out and be aggressive (tonight),” said Cone. “We’ve been talking about that. We want him to become more of a threat and look for his shots a little bit more and be creative.
“He took good shots tonight. This is his best game this conference even though his shots weren’t falling,” Cone added.
The multi-titled mentor emphasized the team's renewed focus on defense spelled the difference in the Game Two victory.
Part of the game plan, however, is get Yap to take more shots. “That was a big part of our game plan, to get James a little bit more involved on offense,” said Cone.
Yap confirmed he has been given the green light to shoot despite his latest shooting slump.
“Wala lang talagang kumpiyansa. Kailangan lang tira lang ng tira,” Yap said. “Sinabi lang niya (Cone) sa akin na kailangan kong maging aggressive.”
The San Mig Coffee coach is very much aware of the struggles of Yap, but remains confident he will break out of his slump.
“He did take a lot of shots that didn’t fall. But they will fall on any given night. I don’t care if the shots weren’t going in, as long as he is getting his shots. If he takes those same shots on Saturday, he might have a 35-point game,” Yap said.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph