PBA: Slaughter, Tenorio confident with Ginebra’s future under Cone

Baranger Ginebra Kings and Tim Cone. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

Down, but not out.

Ginebra may have missed out the semifinals in coach Tim Cone’s first conference, but the players believe that the foundation has already been laid out for the title-hungry squad.

“We got better compared last month, last conference, and the previous years,” said LA Tenorio.

Cone’s entry signaled the end to Ginebra’s series of coaching changes, as the two-time Grand Slam-winning coach has been tasked to end the eight-year title drought for the Gin Kings.

And in just 11 games, Cone had instilled hopes that the team could eventually turn it around as the players build on the positives that came out of this conference.

“Nag-improve kami ng malaki, yun ang positive na nangyari sa conference na ito. I know a lot of players learned from this conference, including me. Sana magtuloy-tuloy yung magandang pinapakita namin,” Tenorio said.

There is probably no one else in Ginebra roster who benefitted most of the shift to Cone’s system than Greg Slaughter. The third-year big man averaged 23.5 points and 15.0 rebounds in the eliminations and has emerged as a possible contender for the Best Player of the Conference plum.

And Slaughter knows the improvements are not just for this conference.

“I think we’re here for the long term with coach Tim.”

Despite the quarterfinals exit after a tough loss to GlobalPort in overtime, the six-foot-11 big man is happy with the growth of the Kings.

“It always sucks to lose, but we got to look at the big picture. One thing I’m happy about is we did grow as a team. We definitely saw a lot of positive on us,” Slaughter said.

“That’s the thing with knockout games, it could go either way. If it maybe a series, it might’ve been different, but it’s how it is with a knockout game. One point is all the difference and we got beat.”

Not one to dwell on the past, Slaughter rather looked at Ginebra’s promising future, with him, Japeth Aguilar, and rookie guard Earl Scottie Thompson leading the charge for the youth revolution, and the legendary mentor in Cone guiding them through the ropes.

“We got coach Tim and I couldn’t be happier that he’s here. He’s such a great coach,” he said. “This is not the end for us. There’s so much more that we got to improve on and I know he’s going to get us there.”