San Mig-Alaska too close to call says Jojo Lastimosa

A student of Tim Cone’s Triangle System, Jojo Lastimosa knows when it’s working and when it’s not. With the San Mig Coffee Mixers down 0-1 in their best-of-three quarterfinals series against the Alaska Aces, Cone realized that the Triangle is not working out.

The Mixers were playing hard but they just could not keep in step with the rampaging Aces. Facing elimination, Cone ditched his Triangle offense and employed a different approach that ultimately kept the Mixers alive in the 2014 PBA Commissioner’s Cup.

“The Triangle is about movement,” said long-time Triangle System student Jojo Lastimosa. He was the first person to notice the change during the game’s coverage. “The shots we had in the Triangle were mostly from 15 to 18 feet, and sometimes we shot threes. But the Mixers could not get open shots from those areas. All their attempts were contested by Alaska.”

“Basically, it’s a motion offense. If you’re tired, you won’t be able to execute it,” explained Lastimosa. “For the Triangle to work, you need a lot of movement and quick passes. I think the Mixers are tired so they can’t fully take advantage of it.”

The San Mig Super Coffee Mixers are coming off two straight title runs with only short breaks in between, which could be the cause for their weary legs. However, Lastimosa also credited the Aces for taking opportunities away from the Mixers.

“The defense always plays a part on it. If you do a good job staying with your guy and disrupting it you can affect the Triangle,” Lastimosa added. He also shared that since Alaska head coach Luigi Trillo is familiar with Cone’s system, his Aces know how to defend it.

“You have to look for ways to score and usually it falls to playing one-on-one and that’s not what coach Tim Cone’s system is about,” the current PBA TV analyst said. “He had to find a new option his team. Good coaches find things that could work for his team.”

Lastimosa made a living in the PBA by making midrange jumpers during Alaska’s golden era. With the shots not available for the Mixers in Game 2, Cone had to use his Plan B.

“Sometimes if we had an overwhelming advantage in the post, we go to that Interior Triangle or Interior Offense,” said Lastimosa. “They have that advantage because they play big all the time. Coach Tim is a coach who likes to pound the ball inside. He’s an inside-out coach.”

Lastimosa however explained that even if Cone’s Interior Triangle worked for Game 2, it does not necessarily mean it will work for Game 3 as Trillo is capable of making his own adjustments.

Asked if Cone will stick to his Plan B, Lastimosa answered, “It all depends. I’m sure Alaska’s going to have a counter. Maybe he’ll stick to it, maybe he won’t.”

As for which team he thinks would advance to the semifinals, Lastimosa refused to name a team.

“It’s going to be close. It could go either way.”