Ginebra needs to learn triangle fast, says Devance
November 4, 2015 | 12:48am
MANILA, Philippines – Veteran forward Joe Devance hopes Barangay Ginebra learns the triangle offense of coach Tim Cone quick so as not to be left behind by other teams in the single-round elimination of the PBA Philippine Cup.
After opening the PBA’s 41st season with high hopes under Cone, the league’s winningest coach with 18 titles, the Kings have been less than spectacular, bowing to the Star Hotshots, 86-78, before yielding an 82-79 decision to an undersized Barako Bull side on Sunday.
But while Ginebra is currently in the company of Blackwater and Mahindra at the bottom of the standings with identical 0-2 records, the 6-foot-7 Fil-American chose to keep a positive outlook.
“We’re fighting an uphill battle but I have no doubt we can get it together,” Devance told Philstar.com on Tuesday after the team concluded its practice at the CCF gym in Ortigas, Pasig.
“But we have to try to hurry up and take it to another level because teams are really good right now. And we can’t take teams for granted because we just lost to Barako Bull,” he added.
The versatile Devance said they are well aware that they are in a precarious situation at this point, especially since the Gin Kings will be going up against a disciplined Alaska Aces on Saturday in the season’s first out-of-the-country game in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The Aces opened the season with a 114-98 hammering of pre-tournament favorites Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters, before subduing Blackwater Elite, 87-79.
“They’re (Aces) gonna bring in their A-game so we just got to prepare,” stressed the top overall pick in the 2008 PBA Draft, who won five league titles with Cone during their time with the Star Hotshots the past four seasons.
The left-handed Fil-Am forward, an off-season acquisition by Ginebra, mentioned that the frustration level is understandable because everybody is still learning to play Cone’s famed “triangle”, but this doesn’t mean blaming one another at this point.
“Frustration’s gonna come in the learning stage. It (learning the triangle offense) doesn’t come easy, but we got to play in the process and not point fingers on whoever,” he said.
“I guess for coach Tim, he wants it done in a certain way and we just have to change the mentality of this team,” he added.
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