Photo by Francis T.J. Ochoa
MANILA, Philippines—It didn’t take Tim Cone even a second to figure out the answer to this question: “Have you ever handled a team that’s stronger than what you have now?”
“The Centennial Team was stronger,” Cone told the Inquirer over the phone Tuesday, shortly after wrapping up practice for his B-Meg Llamados, whose rock-solid roster makes its PBA Philippine Cup debut against sister squad Petron Blaze Wednesday at the Cuneta Astrodome.
A winner of 13 PBA titles with Alaska, including a rare Grand Slam in 1996, Cone can’t wait to see the Llamados in action against the Boosters in the 7:30 p.m. contest.
“I am scared and excited at the same time,” Cone said. “We have great individual players but a lineup like that is not necessarily great for a system-style coach like myself. I’m trying not to be nervous.”
James Yap, Kerby Raymundo, Joe Devance, Rico Maierhofer and Peter June Simon are five of the biggest names in the B-Meg lineup. And with a backup roster to envy, Cone certainly has a team that is stronger than all those Alaska squads he led to championships.
The only team stronger than his new squad was the all-star, all-pro national team he handled in the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand.
“We’re expecting a great rivalry with Petron and Barangay Ginebra this conference, and it is going to start in this game,” he said. “Petron will have great confidence coming off their championship, so they will be formidable.”
The Boosters will still be without main man Jay Washington and last year’s top rookie Rabeh Al-Hussaini, but this was the same team that foiled Talk ‘N Text’s Grand Slam bid by stealing the Governors’ Cup last season.
Arwind Santos will be the Boosters’ main man as usual, with Alex Cabagnot and the returning Dondon Hontiveros expected to provide support.
In a related development, Meralco acquired Mark Borboran from Alaska for its second-round picks in 2012 and 2013 after matching Petron’s P11.1 million, three-year offer sheet.
Cone takes bench savvy, experience, and the Triangle Offense with him to B-Meg.
“I expect us to be better a couple of weeks from now, a couple of months from now,” Cone said. “When I was with Alaska, we ran the Triangle like we were in college. (My) B-Meg player are learning it like they’re in the elementary.
“They (Llamados) are still very uncomfortable with it. That’s why I don’t have high expectations at the moment.”
Meanwhile, Powerade, minus top overall Draft pick JV Casio sidelined because of a leg injury, also makes its debut against newcomer Shopinas.com in the 5:15 p.m. curtain-raiser.