The new member of the Terrafirma Dyip, Christian Standhardinger, is finding ways to get better in leading his team to a breakthrough.
Christian Standhardinger is taking responsibility as Terrafirma wrapped up its first round of elims assignment in the PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup without a single win in five tries.
The former Best Player of the Conference admitted there is more work to be done as far as his leadership is concerned. Though he added that it would not be easy given that he is still adjusting to his new team.
“Obviously, I have to step it up. For example, I need to make some free throws hopefully. And, like I said last time already, I need to step up on my leadership position, and that’s something I can control, and I need to get better at that,” Standhardinger said after Terrafirma’s 107-89 loss to TNT on Thursday, Sept. 5.
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“It’s always a bit complicated to adjust to a new team. You don’t want to come in and out of nowhere change certain things. Management talked to me; the coaches talked to me [that] I need to be more vocal and lead a little bit more. That’s what I’m trying to do.”
Right now, the Dyip languish in Group A’s cellar with a 0-5 tally.
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Terrafirma is undergoing a rebuilding of sorts after breaking up the core that had a historic quarterfinal win against the mighty San Miguel in the Philippine Cup last season.
This squad is practically a new team.
“We also have to be realistic. Half of our team is missing… [We] don’t have the same team they had when they had a great run against San Miguel last conference,” said Standhardinger, who added that recent draftee Mark Nonoy could not get a release from his team in the MPBL.
“With me taking responsibility, we also need to be realistic and know that we’re missing half of our team. And in a competitive league like the PBA, that’s very hard to win there, right?”
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His point was valid.
He himself, along with Ginebra teammate Stanley Pringle was involved in a trade with Terrafirma that saw it send Dyip's young guns Stephen Holt and Isaac in their place.
Much-improved winger Javi Gomez de Liano took his talents to the Korean Basketball League. While all-star Juami Tiongson has been bothered by a hamstring injury.
But such is the reality for Terrafirma now.
That is why it has no other recourse but to find ways to arrest its lethargic performance in the opening round moving forward.
For Standhardinger, this is a "long-term project" that would involve putting into consideration their current situation with the steps they need to do to eventually build a winning culture.
“But we need to move on and figure out how we can get some wins and just overcome that. But with that said, we need to be realistic. We cannot expect to be [winners] out of nowhere. Building a winning culture is little steps by little steps getting better. It’s a long-term project,” said Standhardinger.
“We cannot expect just to come to the games and start winning games. We've got to build it up, work hard in practice, listen to the coaches and management. That's our goal.
"I take a lot of responsibility for us performing not the way that we should, [but] let's also be a bit realistic and know which situation we have been.”