"The key is whether or not we’re getting better each game and we are," says Cone. "We’ve made good progress the last three games even if we lost them all. We’ve got a shot at the title if we make the top four."
Cone insists the poor start is no indication of things to come. The first eight games will tell, he adds. "Ask me again after four more games, maybe then I can see where we’re going," says Cone who piloted Alaska to the All-Filipino crown last year.
Alaska is typically slow-starting. So there’s no cause to push the panic button ... yet. In the 1996 Third Conference, Alaska got off on the wrong foot and opened at 1-3, exactly where the Aces are now in the All-Filipino Cup. But Cone’s boys held on to bag the crown in the end.
Cone says it’s unfair to compare Alaska’s title teams of the past to his cast this season. "Sure, I miss Johnny (Abarrientos), Edward (Juinio), Bong (Hawkins), and Jojo (Lastimosa)," he continues. "But we had gotten to the point where we knew we would eventually begin to lose, where we would break apart, and where we would start pointing fingers. It wasn’t that we unloaded people because we had a problem with them. We just felt we had to turn the page and go forward. We needed a renewed sense of purpose and energy. It was for the good of everybody. Johnny and the guys needed a renewed sense of purpose and so did I. People are only understanding it now. The proof is how Johnny, Edward and Jojo are playing at Pop Cola."
Is team owner Fred Uytengsu getting impatient?
"I can guarantee you he’s not happy but we’ve been through this before," says Cone. "He can be patient for the right reasons. He understands what we’re going through. That’s why I admire Fred."
Cone says he has no regrets bringing in six new players this year — Ali Peek, Jon Ordonio, John Arigo, Eric Reyes, Kenny Evans, and Richie Ticzon. "We’re not lacking in talent," he says. "We’ve got all the pieces in the puzzle. We’ve just got to make them fit. It’s hard to learn our system which is the triangle offense. We’re asking the players not familiar with it to make the leap of faith. We’ve got the players who can make it work — it’s just a tougher road learning it because all five guys on the floor must be on the same page to execute it. If one guys isn’t on the same page, you disrupt the rhythm and it won’t work."
Cone is pushing the triangle even if it takes longer to learn. "You reap what you sow and I think the harvest will be worth it," he says. "When the (Chicago) Bulls ran it, it was like a dance — it was beautiful basketball, choreographed and organized. Once the Bulls figured it out, it worked. When we figured it out at Alaska the last few years, it worked, too. So it’s just a matter of figuring it out again with our new nucleus."
Cone singles out Arigo as the player who’s the least comfortable with the triangle. "More than Kenneth (Duremdes), I think John feels the pressure to show what he’s got," he says. "John wants to make a splash but the triangle won’t allow it. He’s got to let the offense come to him and he shouldn’t force his will. He’s under a microscope so he’s feeling the pressure. But we’re willing to wait. He’s too good a player and he’s a good kid. I remember Rodney (Santos) was just like John starting out with us. He also wasn’t comfortable with the triangle at first. But once he figured it out, Rodney’s been outstanding. He’s taken the bull by the horns."
Cone says there’s no resistance from the players to the triangle. "They’ve been enthusiastic trying to learn it," he goes on. "Jon (Ordonio), for instance, likes the system and you can see how smooth he plays the triangle on the floor."
As for Peek, Cone says he has to learn to win. "The idea of winning is still new to Ali," he explains. "He’s got to learn what it takes to win. He’s in a new situation and he’s got new responsibilities. Against Red Bull (last Friday), he stepped out of the game in the fourth quarter — he shied away. Ali’s got to know that he’s the man now."
Cone says the offseason wrangling to retain Duremdes is a thing of the past. "There’s no animosity towards Kenneth," he says. "Not from management, not from the players. It’s not like Kenneth got his contract on a silver platter. He earned it. Sure, there’s a certain amount of pressure on Kenneth because of his big contract but he’s handling it well. It’s all a matter of finding your comfort zone."
Cone says the loss to Red Bull was tough because he could’ve used the win to build on. "I won’t panic," he continues. "It would’ve been nice to win but maybe, the loss will make us better in the long run. We’re a young, talented team. I have faith in our system. We ran the triangle well against Red Bull — the best we’ve done so far. We’re definitely getting better."
For Cone, the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter and coming closer.