Coke Tigers improving steadily

By Reuel Vidal
Manila Standard
October 12, 2007

No team in the Philippine Basketball Association has improved as steadily as the Coca-Cola Tigers.

Led by their Fil-Am pair of high-scoring John Arigo and big man Ali Peek, the Tigers narrowly missed advancing to the quarterfinals of the past Fiesta Conference barely a year after dubious trades and an unwise draft left a virtual shell of the former champion team.

Rudy Hatfield, Rafi Reavis and Billy Mamaril were shipped to Ginebra. Johnny Abarrientos was not renewed and was subsequently picked up by Ginebra. In last year’s draft, the Tigers then passed on Gabby Espinas (he was eventually drafted by San Miguel Beer), who could have added desperately needed ceiling.

But the team has moved on and slowly rebuilt another fighting unit. Last conference, they upgraded their point guard situation by trading Denok Miranda for Alex Cabagnot; added the veteran presence of Kenneth Duremdes and got big man Ricky Calimag in the bargain.

“Last year, we were ninth in the All-Filipino and the Fiesta Conference,” said Coca-Cola governor JB Baylon. “In the past conference, we were seventh in the Fiesta Conference and could have gone higher. This year, I am hoping for a top 5 finish in either conference.”

By all indications, Baylon is patient with his team. He knows that Rome was not built in a day and will stick to their timetable.

“We are on a three-year building phase,” said Baylon. “I know we are improving. So no rush really. We’ll get there.”

The Tigers have continued to upgrade their lineup. They got a versatile big man in Mark Telan, who can run floor, shoot from the outside and handle the ball. In the off-season, they traded undersized forward Joseph Yeo for Mark Isip and got Cesar Catli to boot.

Providing bench support are Jason Misolas, MC Caceres, Ronjay Enrile, Ronjay Buenafe, Chester Tolomia and Egay Echaves.

But the improved bench may be both a blessing and a curse for hard-working coach Binky Favis. With the addition of topflight talent like Cabagnot and competent veterans like Duremdes, Telan and Calimag, as well as promising cagers like Isip, comes heightened expectations.

For sure, Favis will be on the hot seat this coming season. He won’t have the alibi of a weak lineup anymore because Coca-Cola management has given him all the tools that he will need to compete with the big boys in the PBA.