Ginebra head coach Tim Cone is very open to the idea of selecting the Barangay’s 3×3 players in the PBA Season 47 Draft on Sunday.
“Oh, sure! I mean, everybody’s in play, that’s for darn sure,” said the league’s only 23-time champion mentor. “And the fact that we know our 3×3 guys a little bit better than everybody else would make them more in play for us.
“You not only know their skills, but you also know their work ethic, their personality, their ability to mix; are they a good a teammate. Those are all super valuable when it comes to picking a player that’s gonna be a part of your team.”
Cone was among the many coaches that went to the Gatorade Hoops Center in Mandaluyong on Thursday for the final day of the Draft Combine, where the hopefuls were grouped into eight teams for a mini-tournament.
And one of those who caught his eye was Jayson David, a part of the Gin Kings team that finished third in the PBA 3×3 Second Conference last April.
The San Sebastian product finished with 18 points for Team A3, although it came in a losing cause as his side bowed to Team B2, 62-70.
Photo by PBA Images
“I thought… David played well today, and he was on our 3×3. And we know him well. And Coach Kirk [Collier] speaks very highly of him,” he said.
Cone did mention David, but he does not want to divulge names of prospects they’re taking a serious look at as much as possible.
“If I told you, I have to kill you,” he told reporters with a chuckle. “It’s just something you can’t discuss. Because as soon as you put someone on the radar… I’m not gonna lie to you, drafting is all about deceiving, misdirecting.
“Because, everybody is looking for the same guys. Once you put a guy on the radar then everybody goes on everybody’s radar. You’re better off being a little bit quiet about that and that’s something we wouldn’t divulge publicly.
“But we definitely have our eyes on a few guys. I just won’t mention who they are,” added the 64-year-old bench tactician.
Cone, though, did give an idea as to which type of player the reigning Governors’ Cup champs are looking for in the draft, where it is picking at no. 8.
Photo from William Woods University
“We’re just coming off a championship,” he said. “We’re getting a couple of guys back from injuries. Stanley Pringle, we’re getting him back and that’s a big impact on our team. Japeth [Aguilar], we expect him to be healthy.
“So, we’re not really looking for anybody who’s gonna come in and impact us. We’re looking for someone that maybe a year or two down the line can be a contributor – similar to what we found with Brian Enriquez last year.
“He didn’t do a lot for us this year in games but in practice, he was very, very crucial. We expect him to step up and play at a higher level this year and to the next year. That’s the kind of a player we’re looking for right now,” he added.
