The Final Score: Mark Barroca is learning art and science from the very best

The in-your-face steal is a 50/50 proposition. If you succeed, you’re a hero. If you don’t, you’re a fool. It is, therefore, performance art. To even attempt an in-your-face steal, yung harap-harapan, one-on-one, just me against you under the bright lights of the coliseum, one needs to be multidimensional.

Must be creative.

Must be talented.

Must be nuts.

It’s a good thing Mark Barroca is all three.

“Mahilig din ako mag-gamble sa bola,” Barroca admitted. “Take advantage of the opportunity. Lalo na kung tama yung timing. Kung hindi kaya, hindi ko naman itutuloy.”

Opportunity and timing: the tools of the trade for a PBA point guard. It’s identifying situations where one can strike and knowing when to strike. To strike without reason is foolish. To strike at the worst possible time is even more regrettable.

“Dati ko pa naman ginagawa yan,” Barroca said. “Kaso nung rookie ako sa PBA, hindi ko masyado ginagawa kasi alam naman natin kay Coach Tim, importante yung disiplina sa depensa.”

[Related: San Mig Coffee seizes 3-2 lead in Gov. Cup Finals over Petron]

It’s good that Mark is creative, talented and nuts. Such qualities embolden him to go for the swipe when scores are close, when games are on the line. Forget playing safe when the risks are high. Backcourt predators can smell hesitation and trepidation. Go for the steal if it’s possible. Go for it if you can.

It’s even better that Mark is ably guided. That you don’t just go for it if you can. You go for it because you should. San Mig Coffee assistant coaches Johnny Abarrientos and Olsen Racela make sure Mark sees the distinction.

“Alam naman natin si Coach Johnny sobrang galing umagaw ng bola. Ako nga dati, inaagawan ako ng bola niyan eh,” Mark recalled. “Sinasabi niya sa akin, minsan mag-gamble ka. Pero huwag lagi. Kasi if mag-gamble ka, and hindi gumana, siyempre mag-sa-suffer yung team defense.”

Abarrientos is Barroca’s professor for Opportunity 101. Aside from honing Barroca’s swiping skills, Abarrientos often lectures Barroca on how to pass the ball in the triangle offense and how to make the triangle offense work for the team. It is, after all, an offense built on opportunity: seeing what scoring opportunities might emerge for you and your teammates on a play-per-play basis.

Racela, on the other hand, is Barroca’s professor for Timing 101. When do you strike? When do you go for the big steal? When do you take the big shot? Because you can’t go for big steals all the time and you can’t take big shots all night long.

“Si Coach Olsen tinuturuan ako paano maging point guard,” Mark shared. “Si Coach Olsen kasi pa-timing-timing siya sa opensa dati. Hindi naman siya scorer eh. Minsan puwede ka tumira. Minsan pasa naman sa mga magagaling na teammates. Ganun talaga si Coach Olsen eh, pa-timing-timing lang.”

Barroca is creative, talented, nuts and well taught.

He’s creative, talented and nuts enough to go for that dramatic swipe, even if he’s eyeball-to-eyeball with some of the best ball-handlers in the league. It’s one of the best examples of basketball performance art. Bida ka if it works. Patalo ka if it doesn’t. Barroca understands the difference.

Barroca has completed 11 steals during the postseason.

It’s about risk and reward.

It’s about art and science.

Barroca has learned how to balance these concepts because he’s also well taught. Ang suwerte talaga. He’s an artist currently taking up Masters in Point Guard Science in the San Mig Coffee University. Imagine learning how to play offense and defense from Professor Johnny A and Professor Olsen everyday. That’s like learning science from Einstein and Newton.

“Suwerte nga eh,” Barroca, who registered a career-high 22 points and a career-best 10 assists in game five last Sunday, said. “Puro magagaling na point guards ang coach ko eh.” - AMD, GMA News