BARANGAY Ginebra may have fallen short of its goals and failed to get past the semifinals of the Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup, but coach Jong Uichico said the team is not dwelling on the past and is focusing on another fresh start. ‘’Obviously, we all felt bad after the semis and it was disappointing in a way as we fell short,’’ said Uichico, referring to the Gin Kings’ All-Filipino semis defeat against eventual runner-up San Miguel Beer.
‘’However, we moved on already and we know we had a good run last conference so we want to build on that and continue our progress in the second conference and hope for a better finish,” Uichico added.
The Gin Kings have become one of the favorites for a crack at bagging the Commissioner’s Cup crown, because of an intact roster and a dependable reinforcement in Nate Brumfield, who had proven to be a reliable scorer and rebounder during the team’s practices and recent tune-up matches.
’He’s (Brumfield) playing well right now for us. He can score and be a presence inside the paint and explosive on offense. He seems to be a good fit for our team,” Uichico said of his import.
Yesterday, despite missing some of its key players, who had minor injuries, Ginebra still managed to beat B-MEG Derby Ace, 122-96, at the San Juan Gym, displaying its readiness for the second conference.
In that game, the 6’3” Brumfield proved he will be a force to reckon with in the coming conference as he scored 24 points points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead the Gin Kings’ assault.
Ginebra will fly to Laoag City on Thursday for the PBA opener against Meralco on Friday.
Guards Jayjay Helterbrand and Mike Cortez are game-time decisions come Friday as they are still nursing minor injuries. Helterbrand’s hamstring is hurting, while Cortez suffers from a sore leg.
Jeric Lopez, Manila Standard Today
