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Jamaica look to build on 3x3 foundation
October 06, 2023
Head basketball coach of Jamaica, Rick Turner, believes there are positives to be taken from the recent 3x3 International Cup in Sacramento despite his players losing both matches.
Turner opines that these can be used to produce better results in Jamaica's next competition.
"I'm always going to be disappointed when we don't win, but we also have to consider that Miami are one of the best in the world, and they're extremely experienced.
"Our second game (against Sacramento) was against the defending champions, so we were in a pretty tough pool. I'm not disappointed in our players. There's a lot of positives that we can take from this," Turner stated.
Jamaica lost their first game 21-16 to Miami and followed that with a 22-17 loss to Sacramento, and according to Turner, he observed methods to change the country's fortunes.
"I came away from this tournament having a good grasp on what it takes to be successful in 3x3. From a strategy standpoint, I have some strong ideas about how to play the game where we can have success, so while I left disappointed with the results, I came away energised and feeling like it was a useful experience," he added.
Turner, while cognisant of the need for better preparation, argues that it costs a hefty fee to host camps for the team to bond but believes the challenges must not be used as excuses.
"We are gaining valuable experience. We're seeing the best players in our region and the world whenever we're doing these different events. The challenges faced will never be excuses. We must find a way.
"We would want more time to prepare, but if you want to put a monetary value, then you're looking at US$400,000-500,000 for us to prepare ahead of time," Turner explained.
