New Ginebra recruit Troy Rosario makes his debut in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup. –PBA IMAGES
When the opportunity to sign with the team he had idolized as a kid came, Troy Rosario didn’t hesitate in making his dream come true.
“Why not?” Rosario told The Inquirer prior to making his Barangay Ginebra debut in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup on Wednesday against NLEX at Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
It’s also a new beginning for Justine Baltazar, who is set to finally see action for Converge when it takes on unbeaten NorthPort at the same venue on Thursday.
Baltazar was placed on the FiberXers’ active roster a few days after leading the Pampanga Giant Lanterns to a second straight MPBL title and subsequently formalized his PBA move after signing a contract before team owner Dennis Anthony Uy.
But while Baltazar prepares for the challenge of proving his worth as the top overall pick in the PBA Rookie Draft after lording over the regional scene the past two seasons, Rosario was looking to showcase the talent that Ginebra hopes would solve its needs in the middle.
Rosario became an unrestricted free agent after playing two years with Blackwater and reportedly had offers from former teams TNT and Converge.
But Rosario felt that being with Ginebra was something he couldn’t pass on.
“When I got a chance to choose my childhood dream, why would I pass on the opportunity to fulfill [that]?” said Rosario in Filipino.
‘Smooth transition’
Rosario’s signing became official in the final week of November through a low-key reveal of the official rosters for the midseason tournament.
Ginebra is pinning its hopes on Rosario to fill its needs in terms of being a physical presence in the paint and a versatile player on the offensive side.
While he seems to fit right in with his new team, Rosario also acknowledged that there’s more work to be done, not only after Wednesday’s tussle with NLEX.
“It’s a smooth transition, but at the same time, there’s also a lot of room for improvement,” he said. “Of course, it takes time to know a system that has been implemented for many years and I have only been with the team for a few weeks. But I will do my best in making up for any of my shortcomings.”
Meanwhile, the expectation is that the FiberXers may slowly ease Baltazar until he’s fully integrated into the team.
But the Converge coaching staff is also confident that Baltazar will have little trouble getting past the adjustment stage.
“Balti will learn fast because we are familiar with each other’s game,” FiberXers assistant coach Charles Tiu told The Inquirer. ”I’ve coached him in the past [with Strong Group Athletics in the Dubai Invitational] and also some of our sets are similar to that of Pampanga’s.”
Tiu was referring to Converge consultant Rajko Toroman helping out the Giant Lanterns during their successful MPBL title retention which ended with a three-game sweep of the Quezon Huskers in the National Finals.
How long, or how short Baltazar plays in his debut, after just recently ending an eight-month MPBL season, is something that the FiberXers will figure out once they troop the floor against the Batang Pier.
“We have to figure out how much he will play at the start, given he hasn’t had much chance to rest,” said Tiu.