It was an open secret that Columbian Dyip were replacing import Kyle Barone.
A week before Columbian took on NLEX, head coach Johnedel Cardel already bared that Barone would no longer be playing for his squad.
But Barone made sure to go away on a winning note, scoring his personal PBA-best 31 points to go along with eight rebounds. More importantly, the Dyip ended their three-game slide after romping the Road Warriors, 120-105.
If anything, Cardel had one regret.
“Sana sinabi namin kay Kyle after ng first loss namin na papalitan na namin siya. Hindi ko naisip sayang.”
That statement drew laughs from the members of the press.
For Cardel though, the offensive prowess of Barone was not what his team needed.
“Sabi ko nga sa boss namin, win or lose we’ll change Barone,” he disclosed.
After getting to know the former ABL import, Cardel wishes nothing but the best for Barone. But his stay with Columbian was not just a good fit between the two parties.
“He is a good guy pero if he went to a strong team like Ginebra or Magnolia, he will a good fit. Kailangan kasi namin yung energy na import,” Cardel remarked about Barone, who will be replaced by 6-foot-10 Lester Prosper.
“We have a lot of scorers kaya kailangan namin ng import na defensive-oriented.”
