Ginebra may have surprised some with their choices in Sunday’s PBA Rookie Draft, but head coach TIm Cone said that Ken Holmqvist and Brian Enriquez were actually “strong targets”.
The Gin Kings used their no. 12 pick to select the Fil-Norwegian slotman, before nabbing the Fil-Am guard at 13th. They received that pick from NorthPort via trade last Friday that saw them send Jerrick Balanza and their no. 24 pick.
“Ken and Brian were strong targets of ours,” said the league’s only 23-time champion mentor, who personally represented the ball club along with LA Tenorio in the virtual draft proceedings held at the TV5 Media Center.
One reason why the team went after the two players, according to Cone, is the versatility they can bring to the reigning Philippine Cup champs.
Holmqvist stands at 6-foot-8, but has shown during his time in Far Eastern University is not just reliable inside. He can also step outside and hit long jumpers, a staple in today’s game.
Besides playing for the Tamaraws, he was also part of the Gilas Pilipinas Cadets unit that ruled the 2016 SEABA Cup. He then made the sudden decision to return to Norway back in the first quarter of 2017.
Now he’s back home, and will join a Ginebra frontcourt brimming with star power, as it has Japeth Aguilar and Christian Standhardinger.
Enriquez, meanwhile, is a 6-foot-3 cager out of NCAA division II school Wiliam Woods University. He would have suited up for University of the East in the UAAP, until the COVID-19 pandemic changed his plans.
He is listed as a guard, but Cone thinks he can also play the one all the way to the three-spot.
“We had both of them in practice for workouts,” said the 63-year-old tactician. “Both players are versatile players who can play multiple positions.
“Ken can go three or four or five at six-foot-eight, and Brian can play one, two, and three at six-foot three.”
But more than their skills, what really pushed the league’s most popular franchise to get them was their character.
“When we interviewed them, they both seemed to be good teammates and that was important to us,” Cone said.
Holmqvist and Enriquez are the only picks of Ginebra in this year’s draft proceedings. It will be interesting to see how the team will work with the pieces they have right now, as their roster is full at this moment.
