PBA Season 43 Preview: Alaska looking to regain ferocity, toughness

Head Coach: Alex Compton
Key Players: Calvin Abueva, Sonny Thoss, JVee Casio
Key Additions: Jeron Teng, Davon Potts
Key Losses: Dondon Hontiveros, Tony dela Cruz

Last season was one of Alaska‘s worst in the franchise’s rich PBA history.

After frequent trips to the finals, the Aces were either sent to an early exit or missed the playoffs completely in the 2017 season.

But that was before as Alaska head coach Alex Compton sees a bright season ahead for his team.

“I actually see how our team can be really good. You see potential and you see how things could work,” Compton said. “Now it’s our job to get there as a team. I need to show and lead and they need to follow. But what I see of where we can go, I’m actually excited.”

Alaska, which was ousted by Barangay Ginebra despite owning a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals of the Philippine Cup as the second seed, went just 7-15 in the last two conferences combined and at one grueling stretch dropped 14 straight games, a franchise-worst.

After experiencing their lowest of lows, the Aces have nowhere to go but up. Compton knows improvement must come within and he thinks his squad has regained its identity as a fearsome defensive team.

“The biggest thing is how we play. For two years, I’ve felt like we set ourselves apart with our ferocity and toughness. We’re really fighters. Last year, we just went through a funk and it was really difficult,” he said.

“And this year, we’re trying to build that back. If we can have that toughness, that ferocity, and with better execution, by being a little smarter and better at making decisions, and then, the part that excites me is I think we have it in us.”

Compton said having a relatively healthy team compared to last year is one of the reasons why he believes Alaska is going to be back to its old self.

The other is the new pieces the Aces added in the offseason in Jeron Teng, Davon Potts and Ronald Pascual.

Teng was the fifth overall pick while Potts fell into the second round in the 2017 Draft. Pascual, on the other hand, is making a comeback after a long absence.

“He is coming back and I’m proud of him. He had to fight through some things and he’s doing the work,” said Compton said of Pascual, who was out of the PBA circuit since being released by the Blackwater Elite in November 2016 before the start of the 2016-2017 season.