Cariaso: We need to keep pushing
FOR Blackwater to make a major breakthrough in the ongoing PBA Season 48 Philippine Cup, the Bossing can’t simply rest on their present success.
Winning three straight to begin the all-Filipino conference could give a hungry team like Blackwater an emotional high, but head coach Jeffrey Cariaso would not want his players to get “too high” with the team’s initial success at this point.
“We just need to keep pushing. I think we’ve been here long enough to know we want to maintain the good things we’re doing now,” Cariaso said shortly after Blackwater chalked up its third consecutive win with a 90-78 triumph over winless Converge.
“We’re still very young together. We haven’t been together for a long time, but we just need to stay focused, taking it one game at a time. I know it’s a cliche, but we need to put our effort into it.”
While veteran forward Troy Rosario is now the team’s heart and soul, Cariaso believes the Blackwater’s young players Christian David, James Kuwekuteye, Rey Suerte, Tyrus Hill and newly acquired guard Rey Nambatac are the key to their early success.
Cariaso, however, admitted that the team still needs more chemistry and cohesion to carry them deep into the playoffs.
The 51-year-old Cariaso also said defense remains to be the Bossing’s trump card.
“The focus on defense is really something I’m really happy about,” said Cariaso, known as a winner since his playing days being an eight-time PBA champion with Alaska.
“We came in with a game plan on how we can defend Justin (Araña). He’s a hard cover and Alec (Stockton) is playing his best in his career now, he’s pesky.”
The Bossing’s 3-0 start put them a win shy from tying their best unbeaten start in franchise history which the franchise achieved during the 2018 Governors’ Cup.
Blackwater has close to a week of respite, before returning to action next Wednesday, March 13, to face the Robert Bolick-led NLEX.
The team then plays its last game for the month of March on THE TH AGAINST 4ERRAkRMA BEFORE taking a long break.
Blackwater swings back to action on April 6 where the team faces Rain or Shine.
“We put premium and focus on how we defend,” he said. “We know we’re far from perfect. We still have a lot to work on but we need to stay humble, staying focus because we know how quick things can turn so we just need to work hard.”