It felt odd for Meralco head coach Norman Black to see Nards Pinto in different threads when they met each other on Sunday at SMART Araneta Coliseum.
Well, it was the first time that they bumped into each other since the gunslinging guard left the Bolts last January and to sign with Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, as he was one of the first to enjoy the PBA’s new free agency ruling.
And his debut with the Gin Kings, coincidentally, was against his former ball club, which he called home for over three years.
Photo by PBA Images
“That was different, seeing him on the other team,” said the champion mentor. “I’ve had him for the last three years, and he’s become a big part of our team.
“It was a little bit different, seeing Nards on the other side. Actually, when I said hello to him before the game, I was like, oh I wanted to hug him. But I can’t hug him anymore because he’s not on my team,” he added with a chuckle.
Pinto, 31, became part of Meralco via trade from Phoenix back in 2019. And it was with the Bolts where his stock rose even higher.
The Arellano product became an integral part of Black’s rotation, a key factor behind their return to the Governors’ Cup Finals in 2019 as well as their back-to-back semis trips in the previous two Philippine Cup meets.
That’s why none can’t put the Grand Slam coach at fault for feeling weird to his former ward with another team, particularly with their rivals.
“Nards is a good kid; he’s not a kid, he’s a man, but to me, he’s a kid. And, I always liked Nards as a player and as a person,” he said.
And as much as he would’ve preferred for him to stay put, Black understands why Pinto decided to leave and join the Barangay.
“I wish him the best of luck with Ginebra. He landed in a pretty good place, and he’s taking care of his family, which is very, very important for him.”
Besides, Black and the Bolts already have someone who has taken the spot Pinto had left in Chris Banchero, whom they got via free agency too.
And on Sunday, the Fil-Italian guard proved his worth right in his first game. He finished with 12 points on a 50-percent clip from the field, on top of four rebounds, three assists, and a steal in 23 minutes off the bench.
Photo by PBA Images
Such a contribution was key as Meralco beat the Gin Kings by way of a 101-95 decision to remain unscathed in four games in the tournament.
Banchero, moreover, proved to have a better outing than Pinto, who only scored two points. But, he was quick to make an impression as a viable option in running the one for Coach Tim Cone with nine assists and three steals.
Black said that their new guard has yet to absorb all of the team’s scheme of things, but he’s excited moving forward as he’ll be a big boost.
“Yeah, he came in and contributed. He doesn’t really know what we’re doing yet. And I could see also defensively, we weren’t as smooth because we lost some rotations, because he doesn’t really know what we’re doing defensively yet,” said Black about the league’s steals leader.
“Offensively, he only knows about two or three plays. So I expect that as the days go by, and we get more practice time, he’ll get better suited with the team,” added Black, as Banchero only joined the team last Thursday.
“He came in and he scored 12 points for us, he gave us some good pressure defense. He’s gonna be a big addition to our team.”
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