ANTIPOLO CITY, Philippines – Bong Ramos said Ray Parks might have made a difference in Blackwater’s horrific 2019 PBA Philippine Cup campaign that saw it finish at the bottom of the standings.

Parks, who was tabbed by the Elite as the second overall pick in the 2018 Rookie Draft, missed the entire All-Filipino conference as he continues to honor his commitments to Alab Pilipinas in the ASEAN Basketball League. 

Without him, Blackwater ended the conference with a dismal 2-9 record, with its last loss coming at the hands of Magnolia, 87-97, on Friday, March 22. 

“Sa tingin ko mag-iiba ng kaunti. Siguro mag-iiba pa rin kasi siyempre medyo maa-upbeat ‘yung ibang player na may dagdag kami na [magaling tulad niya],” Ramos said. 

(I think he might have made a difference. I think the players would have been upbeat because we added someone as good as him.) 

But Ramos was quick to add that a collective effort is what the Elite really need to turn their fortunes around. 

“Kung mangyayari ‘yung ibang inaasahan ko [tapos ‘yung iba] ganiyan pa rin, kahit na magandang maganda ‘yung laro ni Ray Ray… babagsak na naman kami, ganoon din,” Ramos said. 

(If the other players I expect to deliver do not, even if Ray Ray has a really good game, we will still suffer the same fate.) 

“Maaring mag-iba ng positive o mas lalong lumubog. Mahirap naman maging manghuhula.”

(The difference could either be positive or negative. It’s hard to predict these things.)

As Blackwater heads to an early vacation, Ramos took all the blame for failing to figure out how to manage his rotation following the loss of key cogs Poy Erram, Paul Zamar and John Pinto in the offseason. 

“Kasalanan ko ‘yun kasi hindi ko nakita ‘yun. Hindi ko kaagad nakita. To be honest, hindi ko talaga nakita kasi kulang na kulang ako, ngayon ko lang nakikita, bandang end na, ganoon pala.” 

(It’s my fault because I wasn’t able to see what changes I should have made. To be honest, I really didn’t see them. I only saw them at the end of our campaign.) – Rappler.com