No shortage of motivation for Gin Kings in grandest PBA stage, says Cone

MANILA, Philippines — Barangay Ginebra head coach Tim Cone is expecting a dogfight with the San Miguel Beermen for the 2018 PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals.

After all, he’s bracing for seven games against the defending conference champions.

That said, Cone, the league’s winningest coach with 20 PBA titles to flaunt, bared that he would just let his wards bask in the glory of playing in the grandest stage of the mid-season joust.

“That’s one of the nice things about being in the finals — you don’t have to motivate. It’s so close. It’s so right in front of you that the guys are motivated already,” Cone said Tuesday on giving his players the drive to beat a stacked Beermen squad.

“The harder motivation’s early in the conference when the finals is a long way. Got to keep them thinking and playing every day, but when it’s this close, motivation isn’t really an issue,” he noted.

The Gin Kings don’t have a shortage as far as motivations are concerned. They are coming off a hot streak heading into the final dance, having won 10 of their last 11 games. They could become the team that denies the dynastic San Miguel their bid for a Grand Slam this season. 

And oh, have we mentioned the fans?  But you already know that. 

Although the architect behind two Grand Slams said the lone factor that will define the complexion of the best-of-seven series is readiness.

“It’s more about preparation, it’s more about getting yourselves, your bodies ready, your minds fresh, and we talk a lot about that, you know, taking everything off your plate, making sure you’re not getting distractions, making your families understand how important this time of their lives is right now and prioritizing properly,” Cone pointed out.

“This seems like little things but they really add up especially through a seven-game series when it’s easy to get fatigued, not just physically, but mentally. So these are the things that we talk a lot about that go into to try to be successful, aside from you know, the game planning, and you know, all the things that go into that as well.”

But having been in the Philippine coaching circuit for nearly three decades, Cone himself was quick to emphasize that they should not fall into the trap of having heavily to rely on foresight. 

“You do plan for a long one because chances are it will be long, but like I said you take it one game at a time ‘cause you can’t afford to look beyond what’s right in front of you. You gotta stay with what’s right in front of you,” he closed.

The Gin Kings and the Beermen collide for the top prize this Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Tip-off is at 7:00 p.m.