Feel good? Relieved? Some weight off our collective shoulders?
Oh yes!!!!!
Finally!!! A win that looks like a win. A win that released the pressure. A win that looked like a De La Salle Green Archers Men’s Basketball team win.
It was a team we saw, wasn’t it? It was not just a collection of great individual talents trying to do it by themselves. And a coaching staff that finally found a strategy worthy of the name in front of their uniforms.
I, in particular, am very happy. And not particularly because of the W. My joy is because of a number. The number 61. The opponent’s score. We limited Adamson to 61 points. That was 31 and 30 half on half.
See guys? We can easily outscore any team by 10 or more. We have all those tools. But limiting opponents in the 50s to 60s. That’s where we should focus our strategies. De La Salle. The “De”stands for Defense.
And what defensive strategy it was. On Jeric Ahanmisi and Val Chaoca. In particular, several defensive looks on them. Manuel, Lojera, and finally Malonzo on Ahanmisi, and Cagulangan, Caracut, Serrano, and finally Aljun Melecio on Chaoca. And how about Serrano and Melecio huh? Did you notice that they sacrificed their offense to disrupt Chaoca. No 4th quarter explosion huh!
Well Ahanmisi and Chaoca still scored. But not as much. And they bled. And when they did, the whole Adamson team bled.
Hey oh wait, before we go off-theme. What’s the article’s title? The Young and the USELESS? That WORD. That useless word.
Associated with a particular player. Who was it? Oh yeah. Brandon Bates. You know that word was used on him in WHILE THE GAME WAS ON-GOING?
Oh brother SHAME ON YOU!!!!! Did you see the intensity he was playing with in this game? He was mad at himself whenever he makes a mistake. He was trying more than his best.
And did you notice that the team’s treatment of him was EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE of yours? How many times was he set up for give and go’s, pick and rolls? They TRUSTED him!!!!!
You know even the tv commentators were saying it. Although he is not an offensive threat, his value to the team was to rebound and push the imports out. Douanga also bled didn’t he? Profusely. And the chase down block. Not a highlight? No fanfare? Not a great play? My goodness are you callous.
Wow, this article is turning intense, but so were the after tweets of several individuals. Can you feel it? Tweets like “kami naman nagtratrabaho e. Hindi naman namin sila kilala”. Or “O nasaan na yung mga coach ngayon? One La Salle ulit?”. And “those who were tweeting against this team, better man up on your actions. You know who you are”.
And even amongst us, within the game comments, and in spite of the win, there was tension.
For God’s sake!!!!!
Stop this. Put an end to this. See? They DO hear us. And now they’re answering back. And shutting us up!!
I told you. They know what they are doing. I mean what were our losses really ? A loss to a well oiled defending champion team on our first game, a buzzer beating three pointer, and a shooting slump day of our main scorers. It HAPPENS.
And we dare insult our players and coaches of not being able to learn, and worse, speculating that we will finish the first round at 1-6. So what now 1-6ers?
Guys, its a very even tournament. All teams are STRONG. Gone are the days of the whipping boys. NU is 0-4 and 3 of those losses are by one point, one to us. If we lose, the other team played better. Accept it!! Learn from it. Remember it. Then, team, fight harder. Gallery, cheer harder the next time.
We all have our roles. The played theirs. We must do ours. Ours is to just cheer as one. Make known your observations but please, please, please. CHOOSE YOUR WORDS.
Because a word like USELESS isn’t only self descriptive, it’s self-destructive, and it also chokes you when it’s rammed down your throat.
Instead, use the one word that unites us all…..ANIMO. It doesn’t stick in your throat now, does it?