Barracudas, the hunt starts now

A good beginning makes a good ending

IT was not surprising as for two straight years now the Brunei Barracudas have failed to make it into the playoffs of the Asean Basketball League (ABL).

It was always a steep hill to climb from the start and it was a chaotic sophomore season which saw primarily negative headlines through the highlights loss of fans, mass exodus of local players, as well as a game that never reached the final buzzer.

The Barracudas finished at the bottom of the six-team table on a 4-11 win-loss record and were the first team out of the playoff picture at the beginning of this year.

So what can the team learn from all that has happened for the past two seasons?

First of all, Brunei's first professional basketball team can learn from the situation of the Thailand Tigers side from the inaugural season.

The Tigers were a team mired in controversy after it was revealed that players were not being paid.

It has been an incredible turnaround for the team from Thailand after finishing last in the first season with a 3-12 record.

Looking at the roster, most of the local players from the first season stayed for the second, this includes current league MVP Attaporn Lertmalaiporn and sharp shooter Piyapong Piroon.

The Slammers started out as the underdogs but finished as the top seed heading into the playoffs winning 11 matches in the 15-game season.

Problems with the Barracudas, however, could possibly be off the court rather than on it.

They will have to fix issues or improve in terms of team management if they are to return for the next season of the ABL.

Secondly, Rome was not built in a day and the Barracudas repeated the same mistake as that of the inaugural season, failing to put in the required work and training during the offseason.

They only had the team ready too late to be prepared for a high calibre competition such as the ABL.

Plenty will have to be done if the Bruneian outfit hope to be contenders for next season.

The earlier they start the better, of course, in terms of chemistry and gelling. Other teams in the region usually have a year-long programme so the Barracudas will just have to get started if they want to start winning.

Lastly, Coach Bong Ramos did a great job last season by guiding the team to a 6-9 record, barely missing out on the playoffs for the 2009/10 season.

However, it was a different affair this season as he only joined the team after three games. It was definitely a hill to climb right from the start for Ramos, especially with a team filled with new faces.

There was no way he could turn the team into champions as if one was making instant coffee. It requires time and it would be wise to hire a coach early to build the team up during the offseason.

So the question is there again: Will the Barracudas learn from history or let it repeat itself should they stick around next season?

The Brunei Times