Garcia back in saddle, vows end to woes

MANILA, Philippines - After missing Rain or Shine’s game last Wednesday to recover from a harrowing car accident, coach Caloy Garcia is raring to get back in the saddle and will definitely call the shots for the embattled Elasto Painters against Barangay Ginebra in a PBA Philippine Cup game at the Araneta Coliseum tonight.

Garcia, 35, is in his fourth conference as Rain or Shine coach after taking over from Leo Austria a week before the start of the 2007-08 Fiesta tournament. Under his guidance, the Painters went from 10th to sixth to fourth place in a strong progression but this conference, the team got off to its poorest start ever and is still winless in five starts.

But Garcia said yesterday it’s just a matter of time before the Painters get back on track with six new players, including three rookies, in the roster. He’s hoping to pull the rug from under Ginebra, without injured guards Jay-Jay Helterbrand and Mark Caguioa, in the nightcap of today’s twinbill.

“I think the team’s chemistry is a bit off,” said Garcia. “But we’re slowly getting there. We remain positive about the situation. We just need to get that first win to boost our confidence.”

Although Rain or Shine is at the bottom of the barrel, at least two of its games could’ve gone the other way. The Painters blew winning opportunities to lose a 95-90 overtime decision to Sta. Lucia Realty and a 91-89 cliffhanger to Burger King.

“We’re close to breaking through,” said assistant coach Richard del Rosario who piloted the Painters in Garcia’s absence in the 93-77 loss to San Miguel Beer last Wednesday. “It will come. Just a little bit more effort and we’ll be fine. We’ve lost games because we couldn’t recover from one quarter. Against Barako, we lost the game in the second period. Against San Miguel, we were up by eight in the first quarter, six at halftime and tied at the end of the third. We still had a chance with 8 1/2 minutes to go then Lordy (Tugade) exploded and that was it.”

Del Rosario said with six new players, the Painters are still in a period of adjustment. The offseason recruits are rookies Jervy Cruz, Marcy Arellano and Nur Jam Alfad and veterans Mark Telan, Jeff Chan and Mike Hrabak. Only Jay-R Reyes and Jireh Ibanes remain from the team’s original Welcoat lineup in 2006-07.

“We’re slowly getting to know each other,” Del Rosario added. “The bonding is good. The players get along. But because we’ve got so many young players, we easily get frustrated when the other team goes on a run. We’ve talked to Gabe (Norwood) and Sol (Mercado), reminding them that as our leaders, they’ve got the added responsibility of playing with the intensity to rub off on their teammates. They know their roles and they’re ready to do it.”

Del Rosario, hired to take Alex Compton’s spot as assistant coach in the offseason, said he was nervous but didn’t let it show in his head coaching debut last Wednesday.

“I asked the players for their patience and cooperation,” he said. “I really wanted to win it for Caloy. I thought if Lordy didn’t explode in the fourth period, it was our game. We’ve got to stay positive despite our poor start. I told the guys we’ve got two options – either we feel sorry for ourselves and sulk or we work harder to start winning.”

Del Rosario said the lack of defensive conviction has been a problem.

“We really need to pick up our defensive intensity,” he continued. “It’s not enough to raise our arms. We’ve got to be more aggressive in contesting shots. In offense, we’re still not consistent with our three-point shooting which was a big part of our game last year. Rob (Wainwright) is gone and Allan (Salangsang) is recovering from surgery to remove bone spurs in both ankles.”

Team owners Raymund Yu and Terry Que are disappointed, said Del Rosario, but they’re not losing hope.

“Our owners are concerned because this is our worst start ever,” said Del Rosario. “But we’re committed to turn the corner. We’re not looking to bring in new players. Mike Dizon is our only practice player. We’ve got the talent. It’s just a matter of getting the guys to play as a team and building up their confidence. Two teams have just one win so we told the guys all we need is one win and we’re out of the cellar.”

Garcia figured in a car accident near Metrowalk early last Monday night. He swerved his Toyota Rav4 to avoid a car that cut into his lane and hit a concrete barrier of a flyover. Air bags protected Garcia from serious injury as he walked away with a lump on his head and bruises on his body. He underwent scans at the Asian Hospital in Alabang the next day and was cleared by doctors. But Garcia was advised to rest a few days.

“It was about 6:30 p.m. when the accident happened,” said Del Rosario. “We were with the team the whole day. We went to Mass, practiced and held a meeting. We were on the way home and just a few cars apart. (Assistant coach) Mike (Buendia) saw the accident and phoned me to double back because my car was ahead of his. We asked Caloy if we could take him to the hospital but he told us he was okay.”

After Ginebra, Rain or Shine is scheduled to play Alaska on Friday.