PBAPC16 QF: 4 Ginebra vs 9 Star

Photo credit to PBA.Inquirer.net

Call this a rallying point.

When Coach Tim Cone left Star for Ginebra (taking Joe DeVance with him in the process), the team was left in shell-shocked and in shambles. Guys were not responding to head coach Jason Webb, no matter how fun his free-flowing offense appears to be and you could just see the lack of intensity on the defensive end.

Well, you know what they say about champions and their pride right?


Talent-wise, Ginebra has more to offer than Star. Sure, the latter has a bunch of guys who could light up the score board, but in terms of winning basketball games and balancing it out, Ginebra has the better tools for the job. L.A. Tenorio (34mpg 9ppg 5rpg 4apg) has been solid, under-the-rade but still quite impressive. Point guards will never excel in a true Triangle formation, unless they are asked to be the scorer. So Tenorio's numbers are as solid as you can get (we will get to Scottie Thompson later).

Then there are the giants Greg Slaughter (38mpg 24ppg 15rpg) and Japeth Aguilar (34mpg 17ppg 8rpg) who are slowly starting to impose themselves on the floor, Mark Caguioa (29mpg 8ppg) and Chris Ellis (25mpg 6ppg 5rpg). Those guys are Ginebra's main weapons as shown by the minutes that they are given, with Sol Mercado, Joe DeVance and Thompson as the chief reserves (Jervy Cruz is slowly getting some Coach Tim love as well).

For Star, it has been a lot of inconsistent and some times ineffcient play from 2x PBA MVP James Yap (30mpg 16ppg 4rpg), PJ Simon (23mpg 12ppg), Alex Mallari (25mpg 9ppg 5rpg) and Ian Sangalang (23mpg 8ppg 4rpg). The only guys who are really busting their asses regardless of the situation are Mark Barroca (32mpg 12ppg 5rpg 4apg) and Marc Pingris (30mpg 10ppg 6rpg 3apg) but they will probably and most likely be shackled in this match-up.

If Yap can somehow be efficient with the ball or get to the line, he can give Star a shot of forcing a knockout match. We expect Pingris to once again shut down Aguilar, but then Slaughter will go crazy scoring on the likes of Yousef Taha and Rafi Reavis.

Best game plan for Star?

Maybe take a page out of Rain or Shine's playbook and have their bigs shoot from the outside to force Slaughter out. Pingris on Aguilar is a given. But if Sangalang and or Norbert Torres can knock down some threes early, that could open things up for their guards to create.

We can see Star making a push. A run here and there. Some fight.

But honestly, this will boil down to coaching. You can have all the Grade A ingredients in the world, but if you're a novice chef, chances are you'll just come up with a mediocre dish. But give a Michelin Star chef Grade B ingredients, well, he'll be insulted sure, but he'll also come up with something magnifique.

#SorryNotSorry Coach Jason.

Prediction: Ginebra to advance