Ginebra: Time for changing of the guards?

P're hanggang sa huli (?)

While the pages have circled in on whether or not this conference/ season would be MVP guard Jayjay Helterbrand's encore performance, there are a lot more pressing issues that the Barangay Ginebra Kings need to address in the ongoing Philippine Cup.

First, the co-coaching debacle between Siot Tanquincen and Jong Uichico which we were all fortunately spared from by the multi-titled Uichico who chose to simply defer to his former understudy. Personally, that move was more like a company's way of putting employees on notice, be it performance or attitude wise.

Then came the sudden push for other players on the roster, which this writer would choose to credit Tanquincen for owing to Uichico's more traditional 7-8 man rotations of the past. Guys like Rob Labagala, JC Intal, Nino Canaleta and John Wilson are playing longer minutes-- all despite the return to health/ form of top scorer Mark Caguioa (15 ppg) and big time names like Ronald Tubid, Rico Villanueva (7 rpg) and Mike Cortez (3 apg).

Time to shine for Intal, young Kings

In fact, of the six games the Kings have played so far (which has resulted in an even split on the win loss column), the losses were more on the coaches choosing to stick to the "young guns" and not letting the veterans win games all by themselves (save for the back-to-back, crunch time heroics by Caguioa and Helterbrand). Whenever games are at reach or on the brink of a loss, even the Ginebra faithful find themselves scratching their heads with Canaleta and Intal still being on the floor while Caguioa, Tubid and/ or Helterbrand remain glued to the bench.

There's nothing wrong with building confidence in the younger players, since Helterbrand's already at 35 with the rest of the Kings' core also hitting the 30s mark (how fast time flies), but it's just a rarity in the pro ranks I guess-- and probably also a tribute to the team's depth (Intal and Wilson are both collegiate MVPs after all).

Also, while the offense slowly shifts from being guard-oriented to a more spread-out perimeter type, the Kings' seem to be having problems filling the slot with abled bodies. Eric Menk is on his last wheels, Billy Mamaril is out due to his wife's condition (our prayers to them) and Rico Villanueva went from star post banger to a hesitant greenhorn (daresay Alex Crisano did more for the Kings back then than Villanueva-- concentrating on rebounds and clearing up paths for his guards).

SMC official Noli Eala has been bugged a million times over Twitter about the Kings' bigs, and he has gone over the record to say that they're working on it. Honestly, given the roster and money that they enjoy, I don't see why this team hasn't gotten a reliable big man the last two years. Sister team Petron has a ton of them (Danny Ildefonso, Rob Reyes, Carlo Sharma, Rabah Al Hussaini and the beefed up Nonoy Baclao), ditto with B-Meg, so why couldn't they just swing a deal within the family like they always do?

This writer is willing to bet the family farm on Petron head coach Ato Agustin not minding to trade for his San Sebastian star Jimbo Aquino (who's star has faded into obscurity). There were rumors about a JC Intal and Rico Villanueva for Sonny Thoss trade, but unless the deal comes with an extra player the caliber of a Cyrus Baguio or Tony de la Cruz, then the Kings shouldn't give up on the Ateneans that soon.

In any case, fans shouldn't be alarmed with the Kings so-so performance in the Philippine Cup. Yes, the irregular rotations may throw us all off a bit every now and then, but since the legendary Robert Jaworski Sr. left for greener pastures in the late 90s, the San Miguel franchise has always found ways to keep the Kings as one of the league's best and biggest draws (taking a back seat to B-Meg in the Southern regions of course).