Barangay Ginebra makes its much-awaited 42nd PBA Season debut today, hoping to pick up where it left off and get a slight inkling on whether or not it can hold on for the entire Philippine Cup without franchise player Greg Slaughter.
With the euphoria of their Governors’ Cup conquest having died down somewhat, the Gin Kings set out to complete another task starting with their 6:45 p.m. collision with TNT KaTropa in the elimination round at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Coach Tim Cone won his 19th career title more than a month back while quenching the thirst of Ginebra’s cult following, doing it sans Slaughter, whose earliest return from an ACL operation is slated in the middle of the next conference.
Cone will have an idea, more or less, on how his Kings will fare here, with the Texters no pushovers and certain to give them hell, more so since TNT will be coming off a loss to Rain or Shine.
“I’m just looking forward to getting this started,” Cone said as Ginebra also parades former Santo Tomas hotshot Kevin Ferrer, seen to be the next big swingman of the crowd darlings.
Slaughter, the only man seen to challenge the dominant June Mar Fajardo of San Miguel Beer in the paint on a single coverage basis, had arthroscopic surgery to repair an ACL tear, his absence the only thing that did not make experts label Ginebra as the team to beat.
Jason Castro, the TNT leader, told the Inquirer last Wednesday that he has been given a two-game rest by coaching staff.
“Nothing,” Castro replied in Filipino when asked if he was being bothered by something. “They just told me to rest because this will be a long tournament.”
Before Ginebra tries to get off a decent debut, Blackwater tries to extend a franchise-best start to two games when the Elite take on the Meralco Bolts in the 4:30 p.m. curtain raiser.
Mac Belo was good as advertised when the Elite rolled over Phoenix Petroleum on Wednesday, 94-87.
But it was the splendid backup that Belo got which made Blackwater, though for just one game, look like it is definitely out to shed its whipping boy tag.