Ni Tito S. Talao
LOS ANGELES – Hindi prioridad ng Alaka Aces na matugunan ang pangangailangan sa ‘big men’ sa pamamagitan ng trade at paghahanap sa free agency market.
Ayon kay Aces team manager Dickie Bachmann, incoming PBA vice chairman, nitong Lunes na nakatuon ang kanilang pansin sa pagpapaunlad sa skills ng 6-foot-9 na si Sonny Thoss, at 6-foot-5 Noy Baclao, gayundin sa kanilang post players para maibsan ang pagkadehado sa taas at laki ng mga karibal.
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“That’s our weakness,” pag-aamin ni Bachmann sa panayam habang patungo sa Staples Center sa LA para manood ng NBA game sa pagitan ng Los Angeles Clippers at Philadelphia 76ers.
Isinaayos ni Bachmann ang naturang side trip para maranasan ng league governors at PBA marketing people na makapanood ng live NBA game at makapagmatiyag sa kanilang mga gawain para mapanatili ang init ang giliw ng mga tagahanga.
“Hopefully we can see something there that we could possibly do in the PBA during timeouts, halftime and between games,” sambit ni Bachmann. “That way watching games live will be different from watching them on TV.”
Iginiit ni Bachman na malaking kawalan sa Aces sina assistant coach Louie Alas na lumipat para maging head coach ng Phoenix Fuel, kasama sina Aces assistant Topex Robinson, mentor ng Lyceum Pirates sa NCAA, kung kaya’t mabilis ang kanyang aksiyom na kunin ang serbisyo nina dating PBA player Tony dela Cruz, Eric Altamirano at multi-MVP winner Danny Ildefonso.
Inaasahang maibibigay ni Ildefonso ang kaalaman at diskarte para sa malalaking player, kabilang ang post-up play.
Gayuman, plano ng Alaska na padaluhin sina Ildefonso at Dela Cerna sa America para lumahok sa Big Man’s Camp.
“I just drove all the way to Sacramento to see Sean Chambers because he will be joining us next week as skills consultant in our training camp,” pahayag ni Bachmann, hingil sa pagkuha sa serbisyo ng dating import. “He’ll be staying for about a week.”
Personal na nasaksihan ni Bachmann ang pamamalakad ni Chambers sa kanyang sariling eskwelahan.
“When I was there, Sean was right in the middle of about a dozen Afghan students, boys and girls, who were fighting over some things and he was telling one group to stop talking, and the other to stay where they are,” aniya.
“Well, he’s mayabang still,” pabiro ni Bachmann.
“When I saw him and asked him how he was, he told me he had some pain in his back “from carrying you, guys, all those years.”
Nakatakdang bumalis sa Manila si Bachmann sa Nov. 18 para maisaayos ang kontrata nina rookie draft picks Jeron Teng (No. 5) at Davon Potts (No. 18).
