In Search for the King Archer

    Posted by GREENARCHERS.PH

Our resident game analyst Nel gave his take on the current discussions at archerpride.com. The Green Archers struggled in the pre-season tournaments and it is evident that the team currently lacks someone who will assume the role of carrying the team on his back and be the leader on and off the court.

"The current issues have to be resolved by going back to the system that made the team successful. Team ball has always been the trademark of Archer ball, based on the system put in place by Franz. Gone are the days when a player could single-handedly lift his team to the championship. Archer legend Lim Eng Beng was the last such player. We cannot be successful if we're too reliant on any one player, because no single player can be on the floor for 40 minutes. Not even the great Kobe Bryant could carry the Lakers by himself.

What we need is for the veterans to accept their responsibility as leaders. The team needs more than one player to be willing to take charge when the going gets tough. So far, it looks like they're waiting for each other to step up.

The recent spate of blow out losses is one possible indicator that the team has caved in when confronted with a hot shooting opponent or when things go wrong. Their competitive spirit wasn't all there during such situations. This looks like it's a crisis of confidence, and all that's needed is for a player to rally the team and tell them "we must hold the line". The coach can only do so much, the collective mindset of the team has to be strengthened by the players themselves. Last year, JV and Rico were willing to take the shots, to accept the burden of a loss if they missed during crucial plays. Unfortunately, neither of them is with the team any longer. Any of our current crop of Archers has the talent and the ability to step into that role at any time.

The talent is there, the system is there, all that is needed is for the team to decide to apply what they already know. And for someone to serve as the leader, whether or not that player is a starter, a veteran, or just a rookie. Maybe not a king, maybe just a prince, or better still, any of the Archers on the floor. There are 5 Archers on the floor at any time during the game. That's a lot of potential "King Archers" right there. Wouldn't it be better if all of them could be  the "King Archer" at different times?"