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| Sorry Johnny, Coach Tim and RdR will be taking their talents to Ginebra (Photo credit: Sports5.ph) |
On one side was the most charismatic head coach/ player in the history of the game, Robert Jaworski, Sr., commanding the likes of Noli Locsin, Bal David, Marlou Aquino and Vince Hizon. Now while we weren't familiar with the PBA brand of play, we already had a working idea of how basketball players should look and talk like thanks to the NBA. Let's just say that based on body fat percentage and muscle tone alone, none of the Ginebra players fit the mold save for maybe Vince Hizon. Yet they were the crowd darlings, they were fighting tooth and nail with a team that looked so fluid, so sexy, that it was hard NOT to root for the obvious underdogs.
Who exposed us to this title bout? Our mom. Who was an Alaska fan at the time, thanks to Jojo Lastimosa's looks and game. She was probably trying to turn us into Alaska fans too, but we ended up liking the other team. Anyway, Alaska was being coached by a dirty blonde who almost always finished every play drawn in the huddle with an "aight" or "all right?"
His name is Tim Cone.
He was a true professional, slick hair, necktie on white collar-- business-like. He was every thing that Ginebra wasn't. Him being an American also made it a lot easier to just root against him-- being the ignorant, one-track minded, misplaced #PinoyPride fans that we were. He's won several titles since then, even left Alaska for Purefoods and-- you guessed it, still won several titles.
Now?
He's Ginebra's new head coach going into the 41st season of the PBA.
Wow. Just wow.
A lot has happened since 1996. Cone has managed to reinvent himself, from Triangle Offense to a more motion-like system that he ran with Purefoods STAR en route to their 2013-2014 grandslam. He's been a lot more open with his players, more emotional-- on camera-wise, crying, kissing, hugging his STAR guys. Things we haven't really seen a lot of when he was with Alaska. He's been in the PBA so long, winning so much, that we've already accepted him as one of our own in the sense that it's a wonder why he hasn't been tasked to handle the National Team full time yet not just this year, but the years prior regardless of sponsor/ patron.
So what to expect?
Let's make one thing clear, and we'd bet our last money on this: Tim Cone was brought in not just to turn Ginebra into a contender, but to maximize 7"0 Greg Slaughter.
We honestly believe this one true fact.
Slaughter is Junemar Fajardo's rival. But only in statistics. On the court-- they're two different beasts. One is a dominant force, the other has been made to look like an eyesore. He gets the numbers sure, but they hardly matter enough to change the tempo of the game or give his team any advantage.
He's just there. He's working with the system, but you could expect more.
Ginebra fans should DEMAND more.
It's a lot easier to move a head coach than it is a supposed franchise savior. We're not talking about the next E.J. Feihl here, we're talking Greg Slaughter, an easy 12 points and 10 rebounds guy on a poor, off night.
On an off night.
Cone had that one or two years with E.J. Feihl, and everyone was surprised/ shocked with how good the big man looked under him. He played the high post, he made correct passes, and basically didn't do anything that wasn't to his strengths which was greatly hidden by Coach Tim.
After Feihl, there was James Walkvist. And even that guy looked pretty solid for Coach Tim as a high post option. He wasn't dominant. He wasn't anywhere near Top 15 in his position. But he was solid and serviceable.
Now imagine what Coach Tim could do, with Slaughter- a natural high post player (not low post, sorry), who loves to set screens and make passes. He is the very epitome of an "anchor" for the Triangle to swing from one side to another.
So he doesn't run on offense or defense-- that's where the years spent playing/ teaching motion at STAR will come in on offense, and basically getting the right guys to surround Slaughter on defense kicks in.
Every one else on the roster is 2nd priority.
No more L.A. Tenorio nonsense. Coach Tim Cone has worked with him before, they both left Alaska for the money (in some way or fashion, but nevertheless, money was the root of it), so there are no more excuses for either of the two. Mark Caguioa? Coach Tim has the pedigree to put him on a leash. If Caguioa plays his cards right, he can still play for another 3-4 years as a Jojo Lastimosa, clutch 4th quarter option. He won't be needed early, just sparingly, then in tight games, he can do his Caguioa thing no problem.
Now what to do with the rest of the guys...
Sol Mercado can be used as a big point guard to run the Triangle, but we see him better off as a 6th man to captain the 2nd unit. Josh Urbiztondo is a sniper/ specialist, so his minutes will probably go down. Eman Monfort is nice, but they don't really need another point guard with those two behind L.A.
Jayjay Helterbrand, please retire. Sure you can still make shots, but you can't play defense anymore with those old legs. Either you or Caguioa at this point.
Chris Ellis and Mac Baracael... fundamentally speaking, Coach Tim would have more use for Baracael than Ellis. Sure, Ellis can leap and dunk and make the occasional jumpshot, but he needs some seasoning to be of any value in the pros. Just a more athletic JC Intal, really-- with Intal having the slight advantage IQ wise.
Rodney Brondial, Dorian Pena and Dave Marcelo... one of them can be let go of. Brondial is a workhorse rebounder, which is something every coach wants. He'll shine as a weakside buddy to Slaughter, the way he did in the Philippine Cup with- hey! Jeffrey Cariaso running the Triangle.
And lastly... Japeth Aguilar.
Hay Japeth.
Make or break time.
Aguilar had only two solid conferences for Ginebra: one under Ato Agustin, and last conference under Frankie Lim. Kinda.
That's it.
Ginebra shouldn't be built around Aguilar. It should be built around Slaughter-- and it will be. No matter how most would want to see a "Twin Towers" combination work. Their games, both high post, just don't fit together. Either one of them works the low post, or one guy leads the 1st unit and the other accepts the 2nd unit job.
We've been hearing news of Coach Tim agreeing to move to Ginebra if he can bring a few of his guys over from STAR. They'll need some trades to make this happen of course, but we are actually open to the idea of Aguilar being shipped elsewhere to get a more Coach Tim-friendly big like Joe DeVance (or even Marc Pingris!).
But who are we kidding here? We're talking about Coach Tim. Miracle worker. 2x PBA Grand Slam architect with TWO DIFFERENT TEAMS. If he can make EJ Feihl reliable on a PBA hard court, he can make it with Slaughter AND Aguilar.
Right? Right?
The only question here is, how much control and leeway will Coach Tim enjoy with Ginebra? Guess we'll have to wait for the 2015 PBA Draft and the trades that follow suit to find out.
Also, wonder if the new Sports Director will take a seat behind the bench and bark out instructions again. And if and when they win a title, he'll get time on the mic again. And... and...
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