FILE – Javee Mocon. PBA IMAGES
ANTIPOLO — Reduced to a mere spectator on Saturday night, Javee Mocon couldn’t help but feel sorry for Phoenix.
The Fuel Masters, rebuilding under interim Jamike Jarin and following a bevy of trades, absorbed a 98-94 defeat at the hands of NLEX at Ynares Center here—their fourth loss in five outings.
“It’s very frustrating because I’m seeing things from the coaching side as well: my teammates’ plays, their errors,” he told reporters on his way out of the hilltop arena.
“As a player, it’s also frustrating to see that we can actually win, and that I could’ve been able contribute. The games we’ve lost (so far) were close ones. Meaning, we can actually win had we pushed a little more. But things like this happen,” he went on.
A slump to open a campaign does happen. Such was the case for Phoenix during the Commissioner’s Cup, where the club lost their first three before catching fire and winning five straight.
So count Mocon among the believers that Phoenix could still salvage its conference.
“We got our first win, coach Jamike got his first win. So that’s a good thing. We just have to look into that. Of course, build on that. We have to learn and hopefully, eventually, we’d get our groove,” he said.
All this talk of hoping is cheap without all the work that’s required. And Mocon knows that, which is why he is looking to rejoin the team’s preparations as soon as he can.
A knee procedure (bone spurs) has kept Mocon shelved for quite some time now, but he is hoping that he could plunge back into practices on February 8 and finally see action—barring any complications—against Terrafirma on Feb. 18.
“Still can’t say for sure, as nothing’s concrete. But I’m taking it day by day,” he said.
“The conference is not yet over and we still have games to play,” he added.