Petron back on track

It took over a decade before Gee Abanilla finally got a permanent head coaching job in the PBA and now, he’s ready to make the most of the opportunity. Abanilla, 46, was designated Petron head coach before the start of the Governors Cup and booked his first win at Barangay Ginebra’s expense, 101-95, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last Sunday.

The victory came after Meralco spoiled Abanilla’s debut, 89-83, the Friday before. “We did very well during the preseason exhibitions with and without our import (Elijah Millsap),” said Abanilla. “We tied with Barako Bull and Meralco and won four so in six games, we were unbeaten. But two days before playing Meralco, we brought back JuneMar (Fajardo) and welcomed Doug (Kramer) who both didn’t practice with us in between conferences. But we wanted to run our offense through our big guys which is our strength. We lost a bit of our continuity and ended up just standing around.”

Beating Ginebra got Petron back on track. “That was a character win for us,” said Abanilla. “We showed composure and mental toughness. We got off to a good start then they caught up but we kept on fighting, we didn’t give up. The guys refused to lose. We’re still in a transition stage. We’re defining each player’s role clearly and we’re building chemistry. Our leaders are Arwind (Santos) and Alex (Cabagnot) who are also our co-captains. But we’ve got others who can step in as leaders, too, like Danny I (Ildefonso) and Marcio (Lassiter). It’s a matter of defining roles. I can understand that with the game on the line in the fourth quarter, because we’re so talented, everyone wants to be the go-to guy. The reality is there’s only one basketball on the court so it’s important to make every guy understand what he’s supposed to do. We want everyone to believe in our team concept, in our system.”

Abanilla said pressure comes with the territory. “Of course, there’s pressure in the job,” he said. “Expectations are high for Petron because our lineup is so talented. But we know talent alone won’t win games for us on a consistent basis. We need everyone to work together as a team.”

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Defining roles is a priority for Abanilla not just with the players but also with the coaches. Consultant Todd Purves is his first assistant. Others in the coaching staff are Leo Austria, Biboy Ravanes, Koy Banal, Dayong Mendoza and Peter Martin. Team manager Siot Tanquingcen is also involved in sharing insights with the staff. Purves, who piloted the Indonesia Warriors to the ABL crown two seasons back, is new to the team like Austria, Banal and Mendoza.

“Todd is in charge of defense,” said Abanilla. “I’ve always had this defensive system in mind but I never could install it until Todd came. It’s about forcing baseline and sideline, funneling the offensive players to our big guys, a lot of helping and switching, transitioning from man to zone and later, pressing. It’s a modern system that’s being used by 90 percent of NBA teams. We’re lucky that Todd used to be an advance scout for the Sacramento Kings and shares the plays of nearly every NBA team with us. He has extensive experience in the NBA and he’ll definitely make us better. What we like about Todd is he doesn’t impose. We discuss things and listen to one another.”

Purves, who is half-Mexican, shows up for Petron games wearing a coat and tie. “He feels comfortable in a suit because that’s what he wore in the NBA,” said Abanilla. “I joked that maybe, someday, the entire coaching staff will wear a suit in the PBA. He’s very knowledgeable about the game, has a lot of experience in video work and more than that, he’s a real nice guy.”

Abanilla said he makes sure every coach has a designated role. “Leo attends all our games but at the moment, can’t commit to attend all our practices because he’s still with Adamson in the UAAP,” said Abanilla. “Leo is very good in drawing up plays and making in-game adjustments. Biboy works with our small guys in skills development and runs our day-to-day operations like scheduling practices, setting call times and assigning responsibilities. Peter takes care of video and our bigs. Koy is still with Arellano in the NCAA but we’ll rely on him for matchups and defense. Finally, there’s Siot who’s a huge asset for us. He gives advice on and off the court and his experience is invaluable.”

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Abanilla was an assistant coach to Derick Pumaren at Purefoods, Tanduay and FedEx, to Franz Pumaren at La Salle, to Tanquingcen and Ato Agustin at San Miguel Beer and Petron and to Yeng Guiao at Red Bull. Additionally, he learned a lot from Joseph Uichico, now Meralco assistant coach. As a player, Abanilla saw action on two UAAP title squads with La Salle. “I was head coach of Hapee Toothpaste, St. Benilde for nine months and La Salle,” he said. “I also was an interm head coach at Red Bull and Petron but this is my first permanent head coaching job in the PBA. I’m grateful to San Miguel Corp. management for this opportunity.”

As for losing Jay Washington and Dorian Pena, Abanilla said he’ll miss both players but the team must move forward. “J-Wash is very versatile and Dorian is a tough post defender,” he said. “At the same time, we want to develop longevity. We’re fortunate to get Doug and Jason (Deutchman). Doug is a team player, one of our galvanizers. He relates well with Fil-Ams, imports and locals alike. He’s a perfect fit for us, he doesn’t demand the ball, he gives inside presence and he’ll score when there’s a break. Jason’s time will come. He’s a great floor spacer and can play four or five. The key is to make everyone appreciate his role in our team. Once we get all the guys working together, winning will come naturally.”

Millsap’s arrival makes Petron even more formidable. “He hasn’t shown what he’s capable of so far,” said Abanilla. “He’s a guy who can play multiple positions, even point guard. He’s a born leader, very intelligent with a great attitude and work ethic. He’s in control of his emotions unlike Renaldo (Balkman) who made it difficult for the coaches because he’s so unpredictable. Elijah can create, score and do almost everything. We’re looking forward to a successful conference with him. Our goal is to make it back to the semifinals and once we get there, we’ll try to go all the way to the top.”