Globalport coach Franz Pumaren. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
GlobalPort head coach Franz Pumaren admitted his team is not even close to where it was back in the 2017 PBA Philippine Cup when it won six games and finished fifth in the standings.
True enough, the Batang Pier are 0-4 in the ongoing Commissioner’s Cup. They only had five losses in the elimination round last conference before getting swept by TNT in the quarterfinals.
Pumaren also said GlobalPort isn’t being aggressive enough especially on the defensive end.
“Not to make an alibi, but we still have to really make adjustments with a new import,” he said after parading Malcolm White in a 118-113 loss to Blackwater Saturday at Mall of Asia Arena. “I think we should start picking up our aggressiveness.”
“We’re not even a shade of our team last conference where we were considered a Top five, Top six defensive team. Right now, we’re giving up too many points.”
GlobalPort was dealt with another debacle but Pumaren focused on what he can build on.
White just arrived in Manila on Friday as a replacement for Sean Williams and if his PBA debut serves as an an indication, it shows the LSU alum can dominate a game for the Batang Pier.
“We’ve got a good import. I think we can use that as a springboard and probably minor adjustment on approach of the game,” Pumaren said of White.
White posted 33 points, 17 rebounds and two blocks in 36 minutes of play as he and star guard Terrence Romeo combined for 68 points.
“I think he fits the team. In spite of him arriving just yesterday, I think he really performed well. I think he’s only going to be better.”
Romeo fired 35 points on 13-of-18 shooting from the field, including 9-of-14 from long range. He was up to 24 points by halftime but his impressive night just went down the drain with GlobalPort staying winless.
“Of course that helped us, but at the end of the day, we still lost the game. Important is it should be a collective effort. It should be a team production in terms of not only points, but overall performance.”