It wasn’t the best weekend for Powerade Team Pilipinas, as they ended the 31st William Jones Cup in embarrassing fashion. On Saturday, they managed to pull out a narrow 94-90 win over Chinese Taipei’s Team B, in a sloppy, turnover-filled contest reminiscent of badly played UAAP basketball (which, frankly, is like every other game). Then on Sunday, defending Asian champions Iran blew the Nationals off the court, building a 30-point lead in the first half en route to an 85-60 win.

The team’s performance in both games was disheartening, to say the least. Sure, the team wasn’t playing at full strength; James Yap and Jayjay Helterbrand, the team’s best shooters, both missed the game while Wynne Arboleda and Ranidel de Ocampo, two players who would not be playing in the upcoming Fiba-Asia championships, played heavy minutes. It was no excuse for the team not executing their offense well, or taking plays off on defense. It was disappointing because the team seemed like it threw away all the gains made from their previous outings. They definitely took a step back.

It became apparent in their game against Iran, who boasted Memphis Grizzlies center Hamed Haddadi and deadly swingman Samad Nikkah Bahrami. The two superstars posted monster number in the game, but what was even more disappointing was the team’s collective effort in the game. They played listlessly, were consistently late to loose balls, and got lost on their defensive rotations. It wasn’t a problem early on, when the game was close, but when Iran started to make their shots, it seemed like our players hung their heads and stopped playing hard.

Yeng Guiao and his coaching staff have their work cut out for them, and they have two weeks to make adjustments about the technical aspects of their game. I don’t think they’ll be having trouble tweaking the offensive sets and working on the defensive rotations, because they’ll finally have the opportunity to get extended, dedicated practice time. I think the outside shots will come along, too.

But what I’m worried about for the team is their heart. There’s no question about their effort, or their desire. But how will they respond when the other team starts getting in a rhythm and starts making dagger shots? Will they slink back and play lifeless basketball, or will they take their lumps and keep fighting? That’s what I mean by heart.