Cariaso was away from the game for eight months, and now he’s back with a tall task.
With the ink on the three-year head coaching contract now drying up, Jeffrey Cariaso and the Blackwater Bossing now have to get to work.
Cariaso has started delivering on his end of the bargain, as he has looked into the team’s roster, which he described as a “good mix of veterans and young players.”
The Jet, however, acknowledges that they still need to reinforce this lineup in order to contend in the PBA.
“I would honestly say there still needs to be a few adjustments in regards to the lineup. Is that all gonna happen overnight? Hindi siya mangyayari overnight. I understand that,” Cariaso told former PBA commissioner Noli Eala on the show Power and Play on Saturday.
That process of rebuilding may not come fast and easy, but it will get the direction it needs, as Cariaso and the Blackwater Brass have laid out the power-sharing terms when it comes to roster decisions.
Cariaso, as head coach, will not have sole, overarching authority, but he will have his say.
“We are a team. I don’t think any one person has the sole ability, except for [team owner] sir Dioceldo Sy, to be the only decision maker,” said Cariaso. “But we have discussed that within the formation of the team, they are gonna allow me to form the team that we feel is what we want.”
For the 10-time PBA All-Star turned coach, it all starts with the draft. The team holds the no. 2 overall pick in the upcoming rookie draft, and Cariaso recognizes that it may land them their franchise player.
The next step after that? He says the team must hold on to their gems.
“As long as there’s an understanding of patience and being able to keep the assets that we’re gonna be able to acquire next year, there’s really nowhere to go but up,” said the former Alaska Aces and Converge FiberXers coach.
For now, the process continues. As it unfolds, The Jet hopes that the Bossing becomes a recruitment destination.
“We hope that players now will see a change in Blackwater and will want to also come and be part of what we’re creating.”
If all falls into place, Blackwater may be making noise in the playoffs sooner rather than later.