RIZAL — Jimmy Alapag is relieved to have his first game as head coach of the NLEX Road Warriors officially in the books.
The Road Warriors cruised past the Macau Giant Pandas, 114-75, giving Alapag his first win as head coach and a milestone with the franchise's biggest win in history.
Despite opening on a high note, Alapag said the team still has a long way to go.
“It's almost like going home from your first day of school. You had a good first day. But yeah, malayo pa. Still a lot of work to be done. But like I said, I've been here nine, ten days. I'm really happy with the group. I think I just love their competitive spirit, their selflessness,” he said during the post-game press conference.
“You know, we had 30 assists, and to have that many assists in your first game, I think that's just a foundation we can build on going forward,” Alapag added.
Five NLEX players scored in double digits in the huge win, led by import DeQuan Jones with 23 points, Kevin Alas with 19 markers, and LJay Gonzales adding 11 points.
Alapag fielded every NLEX player in the game, with most of them logging over 10 minutes.
“I'm really happy with our guys' effort. And I think one of our strengths moving forward is how deep of a team we are. I think we can get contributions from a lot of different players and we're able to do that tonight,” he said.
“I do think we had the depth to stretch our bench a little bit, to give some of our other guys the opportunity. So I think it will be up to them to manage those minutes. But again, I just think the competitive spirit of this group is very encouraging at this early stage,” the first-time PBA head coach said.
Alapag reiterated his goal to build on the gains of NLEX from the Commissioner's Cup, where they finished the elimination round as the top seed under then head coach Jong Uichico.
With Uichico still with NLEX as senior deputy coach and limited time to prepare, the 'Mighty Mouse' did not see the need to implement major changes in the team.
“Siyempre kasi, you know, our preparation was so short. We barely had a week of practice going into this first game. But again, my main objective is to make very subtle adjustments, kasi if you look back to last conference, this team was the number one team in eliminations. So I didn’t feel like I needed to make any major changes,” he said.
Alapag's first official game as head coach also served as a reunion for him and former Talk 'N Text Phone Pals teammate Asi Taulava, who is the brand ambassador for the Road Warriors.
“Well, I mean it's great. Obviously you guys know way, way back in '03 when my career started, we had a lot of success together. He's one of the dominant guys to ever play in the PBA. So it's great to see him,” he said.
As the Road Warriors embark on a new era with Alapag in the driver's seat, he hopes the players and the staff focus on growth beyond the wins.
“I've seen a lot, learned a lot in my time in the NBA. That's where parang yung fulfillment now, I'm far removed from playing. But to take everything I've learned from my experience here, kasama sa Gilas, and now my experience being back in the States, to pour that into this group and this generation of Philippine basketball—that's the exciting part. Again, I'm grateful for the opportunity and I'm excited to coach this group,” he shared.
Alapag and NLEX will next face the Terrafirma Dyip, who are also coming off an opening day win, on Sunday at the Ynares Center in Montalban.