Yap says rejigged Garcia system allows ROS players to flourish

JAMES Yap said it is total team effort, not individual brilliance, that fuelled Rain or Shine’s hot start to the Philippine Cup.

The two-time league MVP scored 19 points on 6of-9 shooting from threepoint land and hit the goahead trey as Rain or Shine beat Northport, 107-100, on Friday night at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Yap looked rejuvenated as he averages a team-best 16.3 points per game in Rain or Shine’s 5-1 start to the season, but he was the first to insist that the impressive play isn’t the work of one man alone.

“Sa mga teammates ko, tulungan kami talaga,” Yap said. “Hindi puwedeng isang tao lang ang puwedeng magpanalo. Lahat-lahat kami. Sayang naman, may chance na mag-either one or two. May chance kaya tulungan kami.”

No less than six players scored in double figures against Northport, which Yap attributed to adjustments made by ROS coach Caloy Garcia that allowed more players to get their touches on the floor.

“Siguro, ‘yung sistema talaga na umiikot ‘yung bola, lahat nakakatanggap ng bola. Malaking bagay ‘yung nakakatanggap ng bola. Kumpiyansa ka kung ganun,” said Yap.

The many-time All-star said a trip in Bahrain during the offseason has deepened the bond for the team under Garcia.

“Malaking bagay din ‘yung pumunta kami ng Bahrain, nag-bonding kami, nakalaro namin mga (teams na may) tatlong imports. Bagong sistema, na-testing ‘yung sistema doon. Pagdating namin doon, ‘yun ang pinagpapraktisan namin.

“Maganda ‘yung flow especially ‘yung offense namin. Hindi nagpa-panic lahat. Dati, ilang conference na naghahabol kami o nalalamangan kami, kinakalimutan na ‘yung sistema. Ngayon, buti nagiistick kami sa sistema.

“Kahit tambak kami or lamang kami, stick to the system kami,” said Yap./spin.ph