Robert Bolick doesn't mind missing on a triple-double feat as long as he and the rest of the NLEX managed to give new head coach Jong Uichico a winning return to the PBA sidelines.
Bolick doesn't mind missing on triple-double as long as Uichico gets winning return
At a glance
Robert Bolick doesn't mind missing on a triple-double feat as long as he and the rest of the NLEX managed to give new head coach Jong Uichico a winning return to the PBA sidelines.
More than the triple-double feat, the high-scoring guard said that he really wanted to give Uichico his first win as the official head coach of the Road Warriors.
“Happy ako na lahat na tinrabaho ng teammates ko sa offseason naprove sa first game. Hopefully sa next games, sana ganun uli, team effort lagi, lalo na sa depensa so gusto namin bigyan si coach Jong ng first win nya, matagal tagal nakabalik na siya,” said Bolick.
Uichico admitted that he had a huge sigh of relief after getting his first win as head coach – the first since he called the shots for TNT in 2016.
“Medyo nape-pressure ka kung tama ba yung ginawa mo noong offseason, kung tama ba yun. Kasi siyempre iba yung assistant ka sa Gilas, assistant ka sa NLEX. Iba yun,” said Uichico who was elevated to the head coaching role following the resignation of Frankie Lim during the offseason.
“Pero pag nandun ka na, ibang usapan na yan. Ikaw na nagtitimon, ikaw na ang lahat. So lahat nasa iyo," he added. "Medyo nakahinga. Siyempre first game, first win."
For Bolick’s part, under the new system of Uichico and with the presence of import Myke Henry, he said that he really wanted to do a little bit of everything and not just focus on scoring.
It was evident right on his first game when he finished with 24 points, nine rebounds and 11 assists. He can actually achieve a triple-double late, if not with Henry grabbing a rebound that was supposed to be his.
“Sinabi ko kay Myke, mine, (pero) kinuha nya. Okay lang walang problema,” said Bolick with a smile.
For one, statistics didn’t really matter now for Bolick as he intends to focus on the defensive end, knowing full well that it is what he needed to improve to fully thrive under Uichico.
“Champion na ito si coach eh so ang dami nang players na dumaan na mas magaling pa sa akin so alam na nya kung paano yung mga style. Ibang style yung game namin so kung ano yung gusto ni coach, sundan mo lang balang araw may opportunity ka rin,” Bolick said of Uichico’s system.
“‘Yung defense talaga yun yung sinusubukan kong bigyan ng effort kasi medyo dun ako hirap. Itong offseason trinabaho ko. Sana tuluy-tuloy na,” he added.