Ginebra: hire proven scorer in Rodgers

MANILA, Philippines — A Chinese pro league veteran and a tested scorer will beef up crowd-darling Barangay Ginebra in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup set to blast off in the first week of March.

Just a day after horribly losing Game 7 of their Philippine Cup Final Four series with San Mig Coffee, the Gin Kings have come to terms with Leon Rodgers, making Ginebra the seventh team already with an import for the season’s second conference.

Listed as 6-foot-7 and sure to fit the 6-foot-9 ceiling, Rodgers will be coming in fresh from a stint with the Jilin Northeast Tigers, which he beefed up together with former San Mig Coffee import Denzel Bowles.

No more Bowles

Bowles, incidentally, won’t be able to return for another tour of duty with the Mixers since he is listed as a 7-footer. Bowles led San Mig to the title here two seasons ago.

“We saw how he played in China,” Ginebra coach Ato Agustin said of Rodgers in Filipino. “He is a very good all-around player than can play the 3-4 positions. He’s a scorer.”

Rodgers could be just the perfect fit for the Kings, who don’t really need an inside-playing import because of Greg Slaughter. Ginebra also doesn’t need a big who can be a perimeter threat since Japeth Aguilar likes to play the outside more.

What the Kings need is a gunner who can provide them with scoring punch, especially since the team’s offense bogged down during crucial moments in the Philippine Cup semifinals against San Mig Coffee.

And that’s what Rodgers can provide.

Rodgers won three MVP awards in the Dutch Basketball League.

66 points

In the Chinese Basketball Association, Rodgers once threw up 15 triples in one game and finished with 66 points in a 124-110 victory over Shanxi Zhongyu on March 2009.

He averaged close to 30 points in his last season with the Tigers.

With Rodgers coming in, point guard LA Tenorio will have even more scoring options to choose from, and given that, the 5-foot-9 guard can find it easier to score because the opposing defense will open up some more.

Ginebra is set to resume practice on Thursday and coaching staff will welcome their import on Feb. 24.

Letdown

The Philippine Cup result was a letdown for the Kings, who qualified as No. 1 overall for the playoffs before taking an 87-110 loss at the hands of the Mixers just last Wednesday.

That was the worst loss by any team in a Game 7 in the 39-year history of the PBA.

Rodgers suited up for Northern Illinois before going undrafted in the 2002 NBA season.

He since plied his trade abroad and has had successful stints in France, the Netherlands, Germany, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Colombia and then in China.

Last season’s Best Import Rob Dozier is returning for Alaska, with Rain or Shine tapping Alex McLean and Globalport signing up another returnee in Evan Brock.

Talk ‘N Text signed up Richard Howell, Herve Lamizana will play for Air21 and San Mig will have James Mays.

Air21 and Meralco, after getting the boot in the Philippine Cup, have been allowed imports of up to 6-foot-11 in height.

Barangay Ginebra reached the Finals of this conference last year under former coach and current consultant Alfrancis Chua, but the Kings were swept in the Finals by Dozier and the Aces.

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