Why fix something that ain’t broke, a lot would ask.
The Tigers won the import-laced Commissioner’s Cup last year and will be coming into the Fiesta Conference armed with all the experience needed and the manpower to pull it off.
"Maganda pa naman yung team natin," said veteran Bong Hawkins over the phone. "Madaming teams diyan ang nagpalakas, at napakalakas na nga. Kami, halos walang nabago."
Aside from Gary David and import Mark Sanford, the Tigers have remained intact, with coach Chot Reyes not tinkering on a winning formula that has made Coke a contender since coming to this league a couple of years back.
Sanford comes as a perfect fit to this Coca-Cola team as the import, listed at 6-feet-8, is a hard-worker like the rest of the men in the team.
"Mahirap lang doon sa mga teams na nagpalakas, yung mga nagdagdag ng tao, kailangan pa nilang mag-jell," Hawkins added. "Kami, buong-buo na, baka when the time comes na mag-jell na sila, tapos na ang tournament."
Coke is one of the deepest teams on paper, but the people on its roster are not the ones who are the celebrity types, but rather, only the ones who get the job done anytime without much fanfare."
Rudy Hatfield and Jeffrey Cariaso have both become dependable go-to-guys for the Tigers and Johnny Abarrientos and Hawkins himself are in prime shape despite their age.
"Para nga kaming mga bata sa practice, takbo ng takbo," Hawkins said. "Siyempre, it takes five people to play on the court and this team belongs to no one but to all of us. Tulungan ang motto dito and I think with that kind of attitude that we have, maganda ang magiging campaign for this year."
David was the only rookie inserted in the lineup, though Hawkins said that Manny Ramos, the former La Salle center in the UAAP, has been practicing for the past several weeks now.
But David will be coming off the bench only in relief of Cariaso, who has blossomed into one of the finest shooters in the clutch and who will continue to lead this team on and off the court.
In fact, Hawkins was quick to point out that the Tigers are one of the shortest teams in the league, but the fighting heart and coach Chot Reyes’ motivation will keep them in the thick of things.