The Blackwater Bossing weren’t necessarily good under new coach Pat Aquino. They were only 1-5 under his helm, or just slightly better than the 0-4 the team recorded with Jeffrey Cariaso at the helm.
Even so, the Bossing under Aquino looked better, pulling out a 126-120 upset of the mighty San Miguel Beermen and nearly completing a massive rally against the TNT Tropang 5G. They even took the Macau Black Knights to deep waters without their import, Robert Upshaw III, and rookie Dalph Panopio.
So, yes, it appears there’s light at the end of the tunnel for Blackwater, a perennial bottom-feeder in the PBA.
Blackwater Begins Search for Governors’ Cup Import
For a change, the Bossing have something to look forward to, it seems, as Aquino appears to have unleashed the talented Sedrick Barefield while also unlocking Christian David and Dalph Panopio.
Now, Blackwater is looking to build on these small wins and is aiming for a better performance in the upcoming PBA Governors’ Cup. And it appears the first order of business for Aquino and the Bossing is to find a quality import.
“First of all, to get a good import, lalo na at 6-6, 6-5 [height limit]. Nandiyan pa si [Justin] Brownlee na ni-lu-look up natin. Siyempre, nandiyan pa malalaki,” Aquino told the PBA. “We’re trying to figure out kung ano magandang sistema for the team. A little bit of adjustment lang ng konti sa lineup, particularly the need for more shooters.”
In the Commissioner’s Cup, the Bossing started with Daniel Ochefu, who proved ineffective and unproductive. Upshaw, Ochefu’s replacement, was the perfect fit, averaging 33.1 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists as he made Blackwater more competitive, along with Aquino’s coaching.
George King Likely Out of the Picture
An obvious candidate for the Bossing is George King, an explosive 6-foot-6 guard who had two tours of duty previously with Blackwater—in the 2024 Governors’ Cup and in the 2024-25 Commissioner’s Cup.
But that ship has apparently sailed the moment King, who once fired a franchise-record 64 points, missed his last two games for the team supposedly due to a foot injury. That exit appears to have left a sour taste in Aquino’s mouth—so much so that he’s looking elsewhere other than the prolific King.
“Medyo hindi maganda paglabas ni George King the last time he was here so I think we need to have another import, someone na new look for us,” Aquino bared.
Aquino to Lead Import Search
With the choice of import a huge factor in the success of any team, Aquino shared that he himself will take point in the Bossing’s search for the right reinforcement.
“I’ll be going to the US after this [Commissioner’s Cup] para maghanap. At the same time meron din diyan sa paligid, Indonesia, China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan,” he said. “We’ll [Blackwater coaches and management] have a meeting before I go para mai-detail namin kung ano gagawin before the next conference.”
The Bossing will conclude their Commissioner’s Cup campaign on Saturday against the also-ran Converge FiberXers. After that, it’s all eyes fixed on the Governors’ Cup.
