One of the challenges of coming to a new team is bringing together new faces in a short time frame. An underlying assumptions this year was that to have a chance at beating big, bad Barva you had to really stockpile talent and give some serious thought to how all the pieces fit. So it wasn't just a matter of going out and assembling players, it was how to craft an effective team.
Here's a look at our roster (name, position, former team):
Javier Bustamante, G, Barva: Busta is a bit of a basketball nomad. He's played with a variety of teams in the past years. Last year he got the chance to win a title with Barva. A pure shooter who can get hot quickly, Busta provides scoring punch from the perimeter.
Cristian Chavarria, PG, Liceo de Costa Rica: the starting point guard for the national team, Cristian has long been the gold standard for point guards in Costa Rica. He's not even sure how many titles he's won, but it's more than a handful. I didn't really know Christian til this past year when I started working with the national team. One of the surprises when you get to meet someone...he's a funny dude; he has a real talent at imitating other coaches.
David Carnegie, F, Barva: I was shocked that David Carnegie was released by Barva. He had been there forever, back to the days when they were clawing their way up the standings. David was a pretty important part of winning six titles with Barva. David is a physically imposing guy, strong as an ox and very aggressive on both ends of the court.
Jaytthiev Davis, SG, Escazu: JD use to be a high-flying acrobat known for impressive dunks. While still a great athlete, he's become more of a complete player in the different facets of the game. He was one of the guys I brought in to Escazu last year that was key to our title run with timely defense and ball handling.
Jeff Dixon, PF, Sanatura: Another guy that I first got to know last year on the national team, Dix is one of those guys that is a little quiet at first, but genuinely a nice guy. Long and very athletic, Dixon is all over the place on defense and can cover a variety of positions.
Pablo Echeverria, G, UCR: Pablo is our star sub-21 player, even though he's played First Division for several years. He's participated in the national team program, so I got to know him a bit last year. He's capable of playing both guard positions. I wanted to add him to Escazu last year, so it's only fitting we have him on the team this year.
David Gourzong, SF, UCR: Another guy I wanted to snatch last year that we got this year. David is a fabulous athlete with quick hands and good speed. Quiet, almost to a fault, David has the chance to be our best defender on the perimeter.
Michael Jackson, SF, Escazu: the most controversial signing of the off-season was easily Mike's. A Colombian from San Andres, Michael is an explosive scorer that has been an integral part of Escazu's success the past four years. Michael does things athletically on the basketball court that are hard to grasp; he explodes off the floor. He still has things to work on in his game, but he's one of the league's best players. By the way, Michael is my son's favorite player.
Sebastian Lacayo, C, Liceo de Costa Rica: I didn't know much about Lacayo when I saw him suit up for a competing team two years ago other than he was sporting some spiffy tats and piercings. He's been one of the pleasant surprises of the offseason, working really hard to get in better shape and mesh with the guys.
Jeffrey McDougal, G, Sanatura: Mac is one of the league's wily veterans. He's capable of doing a bit of everything, ball handling, shooting, defense. He's probably one of the league's best at drawing offensive fouls or drawing competitors to commit dumb fouls. Man, I really hated going against him...I'm really glad we have him on our side for a change.
Dave Milliner, C, Sanatura: The league's leading scorer last year, Dave was the anchor for Sanatura in their first year in First Division. Dave had just come over from powerhouse Barva so it was a major adjustment for him. I had tried to get him last year to Escazu, but we just couldn't reach an agreement, in large part because I dragged my feet on an offer. It was one of my regrets last year; I often wonder that if we had signed him we could have possibly won a title.
Carlos Melendez, PG, Cartago: Carlos was the first point guard I had in Escazu, so I like to think that we have a special connection. Carlos is a defensive bulldog; opposing point guards hate going against him in games. IMHO, Carlos got royally screwed by the categorization system last year; Escazu had to drop him because he was classified as an A player. Carlos is use to be a starting point guard in this league; this season will be a huge challenge to him mentally as his minutes will be impacted, but I'm sure he will play an important role in our success this year.
Guillermo Salas, C, Escazu: The "last" of my Escazu transplants, Memo was actually the first guy I called when I joined Sanatura. He had played for Neil at Saprissa before joining the program in Escazu, where he was a warrior for our team. He is a coach's dream: trains hard in practice, stays in excellent shape, is ready at a moment's notice to tackle whatever obstacle you put in front of him. Memo is one of the older players in the league, but he is in such great shape that he regularly places among the top in our conditioning program. Arguably one of my favorite players in the league.
Neil Gottlieb, Head Coach: A native New Yorker, Neil won the Torneo de Apertura five years ago with Saprissa (losing to Barva in the National Final). He later coached a scrappy Santa Ana team for a season before hanging up the coaching whistle. Like me, he had the itch to get back into the game. Neil garners plenty of respect from the players; you can tell he has a genuine interest in his players.
Abel Garbanzo, Trainer: Abel was with us in Escazu last year and was key in improving our conditioning for the season. I've never been big on physical conditioning, but Abel brings a specialized perspective that has been very useful. Abel also has a good eye for what's going on in the court and will be a valuable voice in the locker room.
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