Ginebra Weekly Observations: Jeremiah Gray is shooting his way into the hearts of the Barangay

By: Isaiah Flores

Here are some rapid-fire Ginebra observations following an eventful Week 3 in the 2023 PBA Governors’ Cup.

THE WEEK THAT WAS

This week might be one of the busiest weeks for the Barangay Ginebra this elimination round. Four games in an eight day stretch is a tough schedule indeed, but the defending champs managed to finish the week with a 3-1 record, good for fifth in the standings.

Key Stats

Offensively, Ginebra looked great for the most part. With their signature ball-movement-centric offense, they were able to generate points everywhere on the floor. Despite their not-so-sharp performance against Magnolia, the team still managed to finish the week as one of the league’s most efficient teams this conference. Offensively, the Gin Kings shot a league-best 49.5 percent from the field and third-best 37.1 percent from three-point distance.

STANDOUT OF THE WEEK: Jeremiah Gray

Jeremiah Gray shined the brightest through a tough four-game opening slate for Ginebra.

In roughly 31 minutes a game, the 26-year-old forward averaged 12.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists on 46% shooting from the field while hitting 60% of his 5.3 attempts from deep.

The fact that Ginebra, not necessarily known as a three-point shooting team, averaged the fourth-most threes per game (12.0) suggests that Gray’s impact as a shooter is more important that we realize:

These movement threes are exactly what the team has been missing for the longest time. For a team that heavily relies on having the ability to read and react in a short window of time, having someone that can act as a late-clock shot creator can be such a valuable asset moving forward.

Gray is someone that’ll definitely be important for Ginebra to be even more dynamic offensively. Last week was just another example of the young forward inching Ginebra towards that reality.

PLAY OF THE WEEK: Sideline Backdoor Triangle

For the play of the week, it’s a backdoor play straight out of the classic sideline triangle.

The play started with Michael Qualls overshooting himself in the passing lane as he tried to deny the wing entry pass to Justin Brownlee. As a result of that, Christian Standhardinger then popped to the elbow and delivered a sweet pocket pass to the cutting Brownlee for the wide-open dunk.

This specific play isn’t necessarily a set play or a play they deliberately intended to run; this is an example of a well-coached team knowing exactly how to read the defense and make plays out of it.

STAT OF THE WEEK: 28.5 assists on 161 field goals (70.1%)

When you watch a Tim Cone-coached basketball team, the first thing you’ll always notice is the seamless ball movement within the offense. For Ginebra, it’s the same formula that brought them success year in and year out.

In their first four games, the team looked well-polished and rhythmically in tune. Ginebra displayed great ball movement, leading the league in assists (28.5) and having assisted on 70.1 percent of their total made field goals.

THE ROAD AHEAD

– San Miguel (Friday, Feb 17)
– Blackwater Bossing (Sunday, Feb 19)

This coming week, Ginebra will have a four-day rest to bounce back on Friday against the San Miguel Beermen and the Blackwater Bossing on Sunday.

Considering Ginebra’s struggles with their frontcourt depth early in the conference, It’ll be important for the team to prepare a solid game plan against the mighty June Mar Fajardo and try to limit his touches on the block.

Overall, it’s been a good week for Ginebra. They’ve unlocked a new part of their game – shooting – that many have been asking for years. Thanks to Gray and Jamie Malonzo’s shooting potential for further shooting growth this conference, the Gin Kings look like they’re in prime position to put together a strong title defense campaign.

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The second game of each PBA gameday is live-streamed on SMART Sports.