Lack of fresh legs could hamper Ginebra

Barangay Ginebra is a win away from advancing to the semifinals in the PBA Philippine Cup but despite a virtual twice-to-beat advantage ena tering Game 2 of the best-ofthree quarterfinals against Rain Or Shine at the Smart Araneta Coliseum tonight, coach Tim Cone must be worried about the attrition factor.

Cone relies on a much shorter rotation than Elasto Painters coach Caloy Garcia. In the singleround eliminations, five Ginebra players averaged at least 30 minutes a game compared to only two from Rain Or Shine. When Ginebra outlasted Rain Or Shine, 100-92, in three overtimes to close their elimination schedule last Friday, the Painters had a huge edge in bench points, 45-22. In Game 1 of the quarterfinals at the MOA Arena last Monday, Ginebra trimmed Rain Or Shine, 88-80, but the Painters enjoyed the advantage in bench points, 51-16, once again.

To negate the handicap of a shallow bench, Cone stretches the clock and controls the pace in a low-scoring, grind-it-out style. That’s why Ginebra is last in the league in fastbreak points, only 7.3 a game. Cone would rather preserve his key players than tire them out in an up-and-down footrace. In a slow-down tempo, Cone relies on precise execution and it’s no wonder Ginebra is No. 1 in assists, an average of 24.6 an outing. Cone also puts a premium on size and highpercentage shots. He likes to attack the paint using two bigs in breaking down the defense.

But Cone can only do so much in keeping fresh legs on the floor. Last Friday, Cone deployed 10 players and Rain Or Shine, 12. Two Ginebra players L. A. Tenorio and Japeth Aguilar logged at least 50 minutes and a third, Joe De Vance, played for 49:27 minutes. Gabe Norwood was the only Painter with more than 50 minutes in the triple overtime marathon. In Game 1 of the quarterfinals last Monday, Cone again went to 10 players and Garcia, 12. Five Ginebra players checked in for at least 30 minutes with Scottie Thompson logging 41:36 and Tenorio, 38:48. Only Norwood played at least 30 minutes as nine Painters logged at least 15 minutes compared to only six for Ginebra.

Greg Slaughter didn’t play in both Rain Or Shine games yet Cone was able to adjust his rotation to fill the vacuum in the middle. De Vance’s reactivation was timely. He missed the first nine games of the conference but now, the Speaker is back with a vengeance. JDV compiled 15 points, 13 rebounds and 7 assists in Friday’s contest then 15 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists last Monday. Without De Vance, Ginebra would’ve been hard-pressed to beat Rain Or Shine in either the Friday or Monday game. Nursing sprained ankle, it doesn’t look like Slaughter will be in harness until the semifinals, assuming Ginebra advances. What’s dimming Rain Or Shine’s chances is James Yap’s absence. After starting the conference averaging 3.3 points in his first three games, Yap reemerged to hit at a 14 point clip in the next eight contests. Then, he came down with a left calf strain. Yap will be out until the end of the Philippine Cup. Before Game 1 last Monday, Yap said it was a bitter setback to watch the playoffs on the bench. “I worked so hard to get back in shape only to go down with an injury,” he said. “My confidence was back, my shot was back. I was moving like before. I wish I could help my team. But doctors want me to rehab. I’ll be back next conference.”

Another Rain Or Shine downer was Chris Tiu missing three straight games to end the eliminations. Tiu was the Painters’ leading scorer and one of only six players to score in double figures in every game this conference before the playoffs. Last Monday, he was back on the floor but not at 100 percent, scoring only three points in 17:57 minutes. So there are five players left in the elite circle of double figure scorers in every game – Aguilar, JuneMar Fajardo, Alex Cabagnot, Marcio Lassiter and Matthew Wright.

Ginebra has now won four of its last five assignments while Rain Or Shine has lost three of its last four. In Game 2 tonight, Cone will no doubt try to keep it low-scoring. In Ginebra’s seven wins this conference, opponents were held to an average of 85.4 points. If Ginebra can hold Rain Or Shine to less than 90 points, the probability is the Painters will lose. But if the Painters are able to force Ginebra into turnovers, score in transition and hit the three-ball with consistency, a winner-take-all Game 3 is likely. Cone can afford to take a breather in Game 2 and come back stronger in Game 3 but that’s a risky proposition because the Painters are a dangerous team with depth on their side. The big question is how much is left in Ginebra’s tank?

Sol Mercado was a breath of fresh air for Ginebra last Monday, delivering 13 points in his first start of the conference. Tenorio shot 16 points and stats show he’s Ginebra’s barometer. In Ginebra’s seven wins, LA averaged 18.7 points. In five losses, his norm was 9.6. Norwood’s defense is critical in stopping LA but Garcia sometimes puts him on JDV, creating a dilemma for Mr. President as to whom to focus on. Jay Washington’s presence becomes crucial in this situation because he can stand up to JDV in a matchup. Thompson is Cone’s trump card because he does things a normal 6-1 forward can’t do like averaging in double figures in points and rebounds.