Almost but not quite. A major overhaul but still not enough. For now.
The Purefoods Tender Juicy Hotdogs once again failed to make it to the promised land but not without leaving a mark in the ongoing PBA Gran Matador Philippine Cup.
Surprise everyone they did. From a woeful Fiesta Conference 4-14 win-loss record, they went 12 of 24 this conference. Not really bad for a team continuously hobbled by injuries, rocked by trades (done deals or just plain rumours), the search for a legitimate center still being a dream, and a suffocating playoff schedules, they bowed out of the conference with a lot of promise. Down but not out, and straight to the hearts of their fans and basketball aficionados in and out of the country. The killer schedule is enough to deserve a standing ovation.
Nobody gave them a second look at the start of the tournament. On paper one of the most talented teams in the Philippine Basketball Association. They have a superstar lineup, each player a star in his own right - MVPs from amateur and other leagues, but just couldn't get their act together as a team. Until this conference.
It has been a roller-coaster ride for them. The past three months a testament of the team's hard work and resiliency. They might have gone to battle undermanned but they never gave up without a fight.
The preparation
Amidst the busy schedule of the Hotdogs, from personal appearances for the company and the league itself, there are a lot of changes within the organization during the off-season.
UAAP and PBL champion coach Enrico 'Koy' Banal joined the team immediately after the transitional Fiesta Conference. A big boost for the ball club as he joined head coach Paul Ryan Gregorio and Ronald Magsanoc as an assistant coach. He even brought along Eric Gonzales, his long time assistant in his previous head coaching jobs.
They joined Red Bull Thunder as the PBA representatives in the Sultan Cup Invitationals in Brunei. The tournament was a disaster by leaps and bounds but a good experience for the team nonetheless. It was a great bonding session, the coaching staff announced after the disappointing stint.
The tune-up games went well and good. They managed to win games, even had a game that ended in a draw against powerhouse Talk 'N Text Phone Pals.
Mike Hrabak came in off a trade with Ervin Sotto to Shell Turbo Chargers. Team captain Alvin Patrimonio was named playing assistant coach. Zaldy Realubit joined the team to fill the void in the middle. He was pulled out of the touring SMC All-Stars.
Games begin
The Hotdogs shocked Fiesta Conference champions Barangay Ginebra Kings in their first game. They pulled the rug on the Coca-Cola Tigers with a two-point win. They created quite a stir since they've never went 2-0 since the 2002 Governor's Cup.
Playing assistant coach Patrimonio was appointed Team Manager replacing Ed Cordero who joined Eric Altamirano in the SMC All-Stars as Deputy Project Manager. It was the first time in the history of the league to have a playing team manager.
They suffered back-to-back losses after the back-to-back wins prompting new believers to think twice and back off.
Tonyboy Espinosa came aboard to replace an injured Gilbert Demape. They pulled a squeaker over the Alaska Aces in a game filled with lots of action and drama in and outside the playing court. Peter June Simon was the hero of that game but the bigger news was that Patrimonio missed his first game in over a decade.
Patrimonio now holds the record of having played 596 straight games. The last time he was out was when he was forced to sit out a game due to a deep cut in the forehead some 12 years ago.
It was a see-saw battle from then on for the team. Then Patrimonio closed the first round of eliminations by announcing on his birthday his retirement from active playing.
Purefoods fan or not, people have been touched one way or another by the person that is Alvin Patrimonio. He retired after 16 years of playing in the pros, four MVPs and countless other awards and records to his name. What makes his retirement so special was the fact that he didn't play for any other team but Purefoods. That only is an achievement in itself.
The PBA gave a special tribute to the man before the team's last elimination assignment shortly before Christmas and luckily they closed the year with a win.
The playoffs
The Hotdogs finished the eliminations tied at number four with the Alaska Aces and the San Miguel Beerman but went down to number six due to an inferior quotient.
Facing the Coca-Cola Tigers in the wild card phase of the eliminations, it was easy at first glance since Coke has never beaten them prior to the series. The first win was a breeze but the Tigers came back in Game 2 to extend the series. And the killer schedule took off.
After beating Coke in their best-of-three series, then came another best-of-three with the Shell Turbo Chargers that kicked off a day after the rubber match with Coke. Tired and weary, the Hotdogs lost the first game but came recharged and hot to win the second one. They managed to extend the series to a winner-take-all but even the most energetic athlete needs rest after a big game. One cannot deny the fact that they were very tired. At least their bodies were. Had they won their second playoffs, the third one was supposed to start the day after the last one ended. PBA schedule out to prove what?
Moving on
"Our goal is to finish in the middle of the pack for the moment. This is only our first year of rebuilding and the players are still trying to master our system." That was what Coach Ryan said before the start of the conference.
"But true to the Purefoods tradition, we'll keep on fighting and hopefully better things will follow."
He might have seen the future.
This is the Hotdogs' best conference ever since they won the championship in the 2002 Governor's Cup. They finished dead last last conference. They reached the quarterfinals and missed the semifinals by a hairline. The difference is too big to ignore. The rebuilding process is slowly producing results and was evident throughout the conference.
They will be a force to reckon with in the second conference, provided they get an import who will complement their game style. It will be another time for adjustments but with the way things are going, they will have an easier time dealing with it. The local players also need to be more consistent, improve their free throw shooting, learn to keep their emotions in check, know that rebounds is a basketball term and therefore part of the game, and continue to believe in themselves. Most importantly, hope that playoff schedules come in player-friendly packages.
Winning 12 out of 24 games this conference may not be enough to convince even their own fans and may be too shallow an achievement to some but still, it’s better than 4-14.
The road back to greatness may be long and rough but the TJ Hotdogs are slowly but surely getting there.
