A Captain for the Barangay

How will Slaughter respond to CFL?
(Photo credits to the owner)

Admit it or not, Ginebra fans have long flirted with the idea of having Yeng Guiao as its coach: an old school cat, much like their legendary Robert Jaworski, Sr., fearless, charismatic and all-around Pinoy macho on the sidelines.

But they also want someone who is approachable and accessible, who knows his Xs and Os, calls out referees but then accommodates #selfie requests and open practices.

It seems that they have found just the man for the job in Coach Frankie Lim.

Though Barangay Ginebra San Miguel is still a few wins and a healthy Greg Slaughter short of looking like a legitimate title contender in the on-going PBA Governor's Cup, Coach Frankie has succeeded in taking full control of an otherwise proud yet flailing, egocentric individual-filled franchise while keeping expectations of arguably the toughest and most demanding fans in the country at bay.

A special thanks to our friends at HumbleBola.com for providing us with the numbers which shows Ginebra averaging 93 ppg, 42% 2 point field goals, 31% 3 point field foals, 42 rpg, 16 apg, 13 topg and 8 spg versus 96 ppg, 47% 2, 34% 3, 48 rpg, 18 apg, 18 topg and 5 spg (in four of the five games played-- give them a break, it's the weekend lol) under Coach Frankie. Basically, while the numbers are down (because of the initial losses suffered early), the team is starting to respond well defensively in terms of getting more steals and forcing turnovers (which would and should, theoretically, ignite their running game).


The team has lucked out on getting the services of elite scorer Orland Johnson, with the import averaging around 48 mpg, 43 ppg, 14 rpg and 3 apg plus new addition Sol Mercado who has fit seamlessly into Coach Frankie's preferred big three guard line-up with 33 mpg, 10 ppg, 3 rpg, 7 apg. Mercado has been shining beside buddy Josh Urbiztondo and former PBA MVP Mark Caguioa 25 mpg, 9 ppg, 3 rpg, 1 apg.

L.A. Tenorio is still there, somewhere (he made his presence felt in Dubai), but we'll give him a pass still for all that he's done for Ginebra his first year when the veterans where basically mailing games in and he had to carry the entire Barangay (literally) that whole season.

Okay, back to the team.

With Slaughter out, Coach Frankie has turned to his three-headed monster in the middle with Dorian Pena, Dave Marecelo 26 mpg, 3 ppg, 5 rpg and Rodney Brondial 18 mpg, 4 rpg, 5 apg. We purposely didn't include Pena's stats because he's been playing somewhere around 17 minutes a game with hardly a number to show for-- but he is still a behemoth presence in the middle.

How the team will respond now that Aguilar is back from injury and when Slaughter returns is going to be big-- can Coach Frankie keep every one happy? Will the team go to Slaughter? Or will they insist on running with their three guard line-up of Mercado, Caguioa and Josh Urbiztondo? We see Tenorio and understudy Emman Monfort's minutes going up once the 7"0 returns, if only because those two are best suited to play with the big man and keep him involved.

Okay, back to Coach Frankie, and how he is the closest thing to a Guiao (maybe even better, who knows) that Ginebra has.

He protects his players and will stick his neck out for them (Google the track record). He is feisty and doesn't mince his words. But unlike Guiao, he doesn't really do it publicly (he doesn't shout at his players, or the opposing teams as loud or flips them the bird for all to see). He is firm, but he is also reasonable. Bad game from Caguioa in the first half? Bench him, no explanations needed, and go to the others. "Act a fool" pouting and stomping antics from in games? Nope. Go to the bench Mr. Tenorio. Lazy body language on defense? May kalalagyan ka, 

We have always liked Coach Frankie's "keep it in the family, Godfather Mafia" style, and now, even with a team like Ginebra which post-Jaworski has always had this "please the fans right now or else" baggage, Coach Frankie is just taking it one game at a time and coaching the way he wants to-- adding pieces that he wants and needs while letting go of some young pieces who are fan favorites more than on-court contributors.

Sure the team is losing right now, sure Coach Frankie hasn't been playing former PBA MVP Jayjay Helterbrand a lot, but he isn't throwing anyone under the bus, or blaming himself-- he's just coaching. Teaching. Tuning out the semantics.

Sanchir Tungalang DNP-CD?

Kalma.

OG-style.