Our own game of thrones.

Bacon:  And what do we say to the god of losing?

I really don't like eating my words, but the Coach Jerry Codiñera and the UE Red Warriors have left me with no other choice.  They exceeded my expectations by winning not just one, but two games when nobody else was giving them a chance.  This year's Red Warriors has morphed from a listless team to a bunch of guys who lead the league in floor burns and bruises.  If you saw the UE-La Salle game last Saturday, you saw how much effort the Red Warriors gave.  Former league laughingstock Lucas Tagarda made a good account of himself, diving for loose balls and fighting for rebounds, enough to make people forget about his little faux pas two years ago.  Coming off a big win and slowly getting more confident, UE is a formidable opponent that can very well threaten our nine-game winning streak. 

People will always point to Sunday's game as a distraction.  Our players may be looking too far ahead rather than focusing on the task at hand.  The team may also underestimate the Red Warriors because of their meager record, which gives the Red Warriors an opportunity to catch us flatfooted.  I believe these worries can be put to rest, as Coach Norman will not allow the Red Warriors to be overlooked.

The UE Red Warriors gave the Blue Eagles fits the last time out, so much so that nobody from Team NFP wanted to write about it since it was so disappointing.  They were successful in drawing Greg out of the paint with RR De Leon and his decent midrange game.  They also used the pick-and-roll to offset the Blue Eagles' size advantage, which resulted in Chris Javier getting a few layups.  If UE tries this again tomorrow, then I would expect to see more mobile forwards like Frank and Oping to play alongside Greg so he can stay in the paint as the last line of defense.  Adrian Santos is another guy who Ateneo has to watch out for, as he has made a living out of putbacks and catching drop passes. 

In the wings, they have the always dangerous Paul Zamar, with equally capable JM Noble, Biboy Enguio, and the enigmatic Lord Casajeros.  Kirk can take care of Zamar, although extra attention has to be given.  Maybe give him a little bit of the Terrence Romeo treatment or some of the Alex Nuyles treatment.  Noble's physique hides the fact that he's one of the most skilled players in this UE team, if not the whole UAAP.  I'm sure Bacon can hold his own against Noble defensively.  Zags can take care of Enguio, or even Zamar for some stretches.  Casajeros deserves some attention, but he does shoot plenty of bad shots.  He's nothing Kiefer can't handle.  And while they haven't gotten it going yet, shooters BJ Zosa and  JR Sumido are people Ateneo should be wary of.  

UE has been parading rookies in their point guard slot.  While Roi Sumang's speed gives him a great advantage, he's not yet ready to give Emman challenges on defense.  I'm wishing that Kiefer gets some time at the one spot against Zosa or Von Chavez and gives them reasons to rethink their UAAP careers.  Last I heard, Sheak Sheriff and Robin Tan have not yet recovered from Kiefer's abuse last game. 

Offensively, pounding the ball inside and letting Greg do the work would be the best option, given the obvious size disparity.  UE will commit too much on defending Greg, so everyone else has to be ready to shoot, most especially Nico or Justin from midrange.  Hopefully, those two can continue their strong play just in time for the last stretch.  The transition offense has to be in full display because that's when we usually pull away from the other team.  Also, it may be too much to ask, but I'm hoping that this is the game that Juami gets his rhythm back.

While this is a very winnable game for the Ateneo Blue Eagles, they'd be fools to think that the UE Red Warriors would just lie down and hand us the win in a silver platter.  We're fighting for all the marbles and if we have to claw our way to the finish line, then I say why not?  I hate Cersei Lannister with a passion, possibly rivaling my hate for Boom Gonzalez.  But she makes a great point:  "When you play the game of thrones, you either win, or you die."  One team has already failed in its quest for history.  I know two things:  I know I will never quote Boom to make a point and I know which side I want to be in when the season's over.

by Mr. Pink
photo from Anna Natividad of Little Fabilioh