Phoenix head coach Louie Alas.
Despite showing promise, Phoenix faltered out of the PBA Philippine Cup even before the start of the quarterfinals, losing to TNT in the playoff for the eighth spot.
And head coach Louie Alas has no plans for a repeat of that again in the Commissioner’s Cup starting April 22.
With import James White in tow, the Fuel Masters are looking to crash the playoff party of the season’s second conference.
“I have no plans of going on an early vacation,” said Alas Thursday at the Fuel Masters’ practice facility at Upper Deck Sports Center.
Phoenix had two do-or-die games at the end of the Philippine Cup. The Fuel Masters first turned back Globalport, 104-100, to stay in the quarterfinals conversation but lost to TNT in the 8th seed playoff, 118-97.
Alas said the Fuel Masters’ biggest flaw of the Philippine Cup was their inability to finish games. Of the Fuel Masters’ six losses, four were decided by 5.25 points.
Alas said the addition of White in the first import conference would help them keep their pace and remain stable until the final minutes of the game.
“I told James right from the start that he can dominate games without scoring heavily, without having the ball,” said Alas in Filipino. “I told him that he will be a great help to us defensively and in rebounding.”
White, fresh from his collegiate days with Georgia Tech, was the driving force behind Kia’s entry into the 2016 Governors’ Cup as he led the Enforcer to a 6-5 record in the franchise’s only playoff appearance.
“The offense will naturally go through him, he will receive many touches and he can dominate by playing very excellent defense and grabbing a lot of rebounds,” said Alas of the 24-year-old White.