TAKE it from Converge team owner Dennis Anthony Uy himself, the FiberXers will be a different team, brandishing a new game under new coach Aldin Ayo in the PBA Commissioner's Cup that fires off Wednesday.
The FiberXers, with former Denver Nugget Quincy Miller as import, take on the Terrafirma Dyip in the 3 p.m. curtain-raiser in the mid-season conference second play date on Friday at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.
And expect the FiberXers to come out running at a pace a lot quicker than before.
That's the strategy Uy himself wanted, prompting them to make a search that led to the signing of Ayo as new coach in lieu of Jeff Cariaso.
With Ayo's track record as a champion coach in the collegiate level, the Converge top boss found it fit to go with him, hoping for a semifinal finish in their second tournament since their takeover of the Alaska Milk franchise.
Sponsored content: "Coach Jeff brought us to the playoffs (in the All-Filipino). He tried his best.
May kanya-kanyang talent ang mga coaches, and I respect him (Cariaso). In fact, yung selection niya ng mga players inaprub namin," said Uy. "But I think our team is young. The question is how to compete with these traditional teams, and I figured kailangan namin fast team.
"Sabi ko mas maganda yung galing sa collegiate, medyo agresibo mag-train ng mga bata, different and not the traditional way. That's the strategy that came to mind. We decided to find the suitable coach, at finally nahanap namin si Ayo," Uy added.
And it didn't take long for Ayo to make a good impression, at least on how he runs their training.
"Yung training niya may sistema. Pag-training niya ng tao eh full cycle, hindi puro shooting. He's very detailed, yung small things na mali, kinokorek kaagad on the spot. All these things, in short, mabusisi siya," said Uy, a team owner who shows up not just in the game but also in practice.
"He continuously builds the strength ng mga bata. Pagnabuo ang chemistry ng buong team at nakuha ang strategy ng coach, it's quite interesting. It will be an exciting (tournament) for us," said Uy.
Sponsored content: The young business tycoon, who played for his Holy Family school in Pampanga during his grade school years in the 80s, is now on a business trip abroad. He will miss their game against Terrafirma, but promised to be behind their bench in their second game against Barangay Ginebra Sunday.
Uy is realistic, a championship can't be achieved overnight.
"It will take a while. Kailangan i-develop ang system at ang mga players properly. But I think we're on track. Kapag nakapag-semis, malaking achievement na yan," said Uy, looking forward to a Top Four finish after an eighth-place windup in their maiden tourney. (SB)e
