Mahindra coach Chris Gavina. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Coach Chris Gavina summed up Mahindra’s struggles in one word after the Floodbuster dropped their fourth game in five outings on Wednesday.
“Consistency,” said Gavina after his team’s 97-83 loss to undefeated Star, which rolled to its fourth victory.
“We’ve been preaching it to our guys. I think that’s the biggest thing we lack with all our losses. One week we’ll have production from the guys that we expect to produce numbers, the following week we just don’t have that level of consistency game to game,” he added.
Gavina said his team’s inconsistencies are showing on offense and not on the defensive end where the Floodbuster have been able to limit their opponents under 100 points.
“We were getting clean shots, it’s just that they made shots that we didn’t make. We’re 1-4 and it’s the fifth team that we kept from scoring 100 points so we keep five teams under 100 points in the PBA, our defensive effort is there,” he said.
“It’s not the lack of preparation on the defensive end. We got to increase our offensive efficiency. Some of our guys veer away from what we practice on offense and you can see it in the game when it becomes a lot of me ball.”
Gavina added his players also have to stick with the system and believe they can still win the game.
“Towards the end of the game, we start swinging the ball trying to find each other and our system works. Our guys just have to believe in it, they gotta believe in themselves and that’s where it comes down to. A level of confidence and trust in what we do offensively. They bought into what we do defensively and it works now everybody has to buy into each other on the offensive end.”
At 1-4, Gavina believes Mahindra can still turn its fortunes around.
“Panic button? No. Our sense of urgency button? Yes. In regards to how we take care of the ball, all these turnovers are killing us. I was telling the guys there are still three teams that haven’t won a game,” he said. “There’s GlobalPort, Blackwater and NLEX so right now, we are still above those three teams. So we can still turn the ship around if we can string some consistency together.”
The arrival of Keith Wright also brings in needed positivity within the team.
Wright had 17 points, 14 rebounds, five assists and three blocks in his PBA debut, not a lot in terms of numbers but Gavina knows his replacement import will show more in the coming games.
“He doesn’t get rattled when double teams come. He’s able to stay composed. I don’t think he had more than two turnovers tonight so that was a good sign. He just had a bunch of gimmes right at the rim that didn’t go in. Even he told me after the game that, ‘Coach, I’m sorry I didn’t have the performance that was expected from me’ and that he’s looking to get right back on Sunday and really show his wares.”