Photo by Tristan Tamayo/ INQUIRER.net
Racal wound up on the losing end in the 2017 PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup Finals, but coach Jerry Codiñera should be proud seeing Joseph Gabayni regain his old form in the championship series.
Posting a measly 1.9 points and 2.2 rebounds prior to Game 2 of the championship series, the Arellano transferee racked up 13.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.0 blocks, and 1.0 assist in the final two games of the conference and provided ample help for the Tile Masters in the title clash against Cignal-San Beda.
But this stellar showing from Gabayni was no miracle, as the 23-year-old big man made the most of the chances given to him.
“I told myself to just be ready even though I wasn’t used that much in the eliminations and the semifinals. I know the time will come when I can show what I can do for the team,” he said. “And when my time came, I just gave it my all to help our team win.”
It may just be the silver lining Racal needs to move forward, but Gabayni believes that he’s still far from his top form.
“I know what I did still wasn’t enough because I know that I still can improve. And I won’t stop until I get to where I want to be,” he said.
Luckily, Gabayni has Codiñera, one of the best defensive stoppers in the PBA during his heyday, on his side to guide him along the way and teach him to further improve his craft.
“Having coach Jerry with me, I think I can learn a lot from him. He’s the ‘Defense Minister,’ and he’s not just a big man coach. I’m looking forward to learning more from him in Arellano,” he said.