Ginebra rookie Jamito reminds Cone of Espinas

2016 PBA Rookie Draft Combine. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

With Greg Slaughter still nursing his ACL injury and expected to be out until the third conference, Ginebra has to make ends meet to fortify its frontline.

Fortunately for coach Tim Cone, he came away with 6-foot-5 Jammer Jamito from the 2016 PBA Rookie Draft and so far, the feedback has nothing but positive.

“Jammer is working with coach Kirk (Collier) for two weeks now and coach speaks highly of him,” said the two-time Grand Slam-winning mentor.

Cone even went out of his way and compared the St. Clare product to Gabby Espinas, another undersized but hardworking big man.

“The more I look at him, it really reminds me of Gabby Espinas,” he said. “If we can turn him as Gabby Espinas, we will really pleased because Gabby is a great player and that’s Jammer’s ceiling.”

However, Cone knows that getting on that level would have to depend on Jamito’s willingness to learn and improve.

“Whether if he can reach it, that’s another thing. If he reach just 50-percent of what Gabby is, that’s good for us,” he said.

Jamito, meanwhile, is humbled with the comparison, saying, “Isang karangalan yun kasi tagal na nya naglalaro dito eh.”

But he has some other guy in mind who he wants to program his game from.

“Si Marc Pingris talaga ang idol ko,” said Jamito.