MAGNOLIA coach Chito Victolero had a ready answer when asked if PBA teams doing their pre-season training in a bubble setup has the advantage over the rest of the field.
“Of course,” he said, adding it is up to the others like the Hotshots to try and at least match what the likes of TNT and Meralco are doing.
“We just have to try and maximize kung ano mga puwedeng gawin,” Victolero said.
“Kanya-kanyang diskarte naman iyan sa preparation. But if the question is, if they have an advantage then the answer is, of course.”
Mainly referred to were TNT and Meralco, which both accepted the invitation of Ilocos Norte Gov. Matthew Manotoc and set up training camps in Laoag City under a bubble setup since mid-May.
The other teams had to content themselves with closed circuit, home-venue-home routines while conducting their own full-contact practices in either Batangas or Pampanga.
Magnolia is among the latter, which are limited to two-hour scrimmages per day, unlike those in the bubble.
“They have their own time,” explained Victolero. “Kontrolado nila kung ano gagawin nila, kung anong oras. Puwede nga na twice a day, kung gusto nila thrice a day pa.
“Gagawin lang nila doon practice, rest, practice rest. They have a lot of time for team meetings, at siyempre chemistry will improve.”
There is a downside for such a bubble arrangement, in which the teams’ personnel are limited to a hotel-gym-hotel routine.
“Disadvantage lang, ‘yung family nila hindi nila nakikita for several weeks. So may lungkot factor,” Victolero pointed out. “But, of course, sa technology ngayon you can talk to them through your cellphone.”
The gains far outweigh the limitations, however.
“Malaking advantage pa rin, kasi nga you can practice six, kahit seven times a week. So makaka-focus talaga sila du’n sa preparation nila,” said Victolero.
It is now up to the rest to come up with ways and means to match the pace of those in the bubble.
“Halos lahat naman ng teams naka-buwelo na, so nasa preparation mo na iyan,” said Victolero. “Kung ano pwedeng gawin para makapag-prepare, kung ano programa naming.
“I think on our part maayos naman kami. Nagagawa namin ng maayos ‘yung programa na ginawa ko. I feel naman na, yes, meron silang konting advantage, and it’s up to the (other) teams kung paano ‘yung advantage nila ma-parehas namin.”
