MANILA, Philippines - It was a sign of good things to come as Barangay Ginebra coach Joseph Uichico said the Kings showed up healthy and in a spirited mood for their first PBA preseason practice at the Green Meadows gym last Monday.
Everyone was accounted for, except for Rudy Hatfield who’s reporting for duty next week, and the warm bodies included the three rookies picked in Sunday’s draft – John Wilson, Jimbo Aquino and Rob Labagala. Also in the fold was Siot Tanquingcen, brought in from San Miguel Beer to rejoin Uichico’s coaching staff.
In all, 21 locals suited up for Ginebra last season. Gone are Cyrus Baguio, John Ferriols (to Rain Or Shine), Rich Alvarez, Doug Kramer and Kevin White. Returning are Jay-Jay Helterbrand, Mark Caguioa, Eric Menk, Hatfield, J. C. Intal, Enrico Villanueva, Ronald Tubid, Yancy de Ocampo, Willie Miller, Mike Cortez, Billy Mamaril, Junthy Valenzuela, Sunday Salvacion, Celino Cruz and Willie Wilson.
“We’re all healthy and that’s good news,” said Uichico, winner of eight PBA titles, two with Ginebra, the last coming in the 2007-08 Fiesta Conference. “The 1 1/2 month rest did us all good. We started the season 5-1, 8-4 in the Philippine Cup but as the season went on, we began to break down physically little by little. We’re addressing that problem right now. In training camp, we’re concentrating on getting in shape, strengthening our muscles. We’re doing basketball only thrice a week the first two weeks to focus on conditioning. The guys actually started working out even before our first practice so we’re ahead of schedule.”
Uichico, 48, said last season was a roller-coaster ride for the Kings.
“Of course, we’re frustrated and disappointed,” he added. “In the Fiesta Conference, we struggled with our imports but in the quarterfinals, we lost by just one second to eventual champion Alaska. It happens. We weren’t consistent. We couldn’t get in the groove of things. We brought in new players. We went two steps ahead then took one step back. We tried to get everyone minutes so they could get their rhythm. It became a question of chemistry.”
Despite the ups and downs, Ginebra wound up fourth in the Philippine Cup and fifth in the Fiesta Conference with an overall record of 27-25. The Kings were in the thick of the fight until the end.
With 19 players in the fold, Uichico said he’s trying to fit everyone in. The three rookies have been tendered offer sheets and all the veterans were signed to renewals.
“We’ve got 11 guys who are 30 and over,” said Uichico. “They’re out to prove something this season. Mark, for instance, has just a year left in his contract and Willie wants to prove he’s still an MVP. Our guys must be willing to sacrifice minutes for the sake of the team. Willie and Mark will share minutes as will Jay-Jay and Mike. Then, we’ll try to break in the young guys. (John) Wilson is a Gary David-type, plays hard, drives to the basket and competes. He’s more of a scorer than a shooter. Jimbo is a shooter, very consistent with his shot like a Salvacion or a Larry Fonacier. Labagala is a hustle player who pressures and pushes the ball.”
Uichico said the team will undergo a slow transition to avoid an abrupt drop in its performance. “We’re always looking to improve our lineup, to be more competitive and to win more championships,” he continued. “That’s what we owe management and the fans. Take J. C. Intal’s progress, for instance. He didn’t become a star overnight. But now, he’s playing with confidence and contributing major minutes. Yancy de Ocampo is another example. He’s 30 but look at the upside. When Marlou Aquino and Asi Taulava are gone, there’s nobody out there tall enough to challenge Yancy. The rookies will also take time to develop because they’ll be playing behind the regulars. But their time will come. The important thing is we’re building for the future without sacrificing the present.”
Uichico said Menk will remain a key go-to guy at the post. “We wanted to save Eric for the playoffs last season,” he went on. “As usual, he delivered for us. But we’ve got to develop more big guys to take the load off Eric. They don’t have to be huge scorers – they can do other things to be effective. We’re overusing Eric and we want to preserve his best minutes. Rudy will be more active this year. He had to adjust after a long layoff but I think he’ll be fine now.”
Uichico admitted being impressed by rookie Sean Anthony, now with Powerade. “He’s a role player and hard-working,” said Uichico. “Frankly, I don’t know if we’ll still make lineup changes. You don’t know if we suddenly get an offer. All the teams are reviewing how their players fit. We’ve advised Celino and Sunday to be prepared, that they can stay with us but if there’s an offer from another team to extend their careers and give them more minutes, they should consider a move. Junthy is another player we’ll keep – we want to give him a chance.”
Uichico assured that Ginebra will continue to play fast, furiously and fearlessly.
“That’s the style fans expect from us and we won’t disappoint them,” he said. “That’s precisely why we brought in three rookie guards. But we’re also going to work on our half-court game. We’ll mix it up so we blend in our veterans with our youngsters.”