It’s no secret that Meralco did not have the luxury of a legitimate big man who could man the middle during its last two PBA Governors’ Cup Finals meetings with Barangay Ginebra San Miguel.
The Gin Kings, on the other hand, flexed their size, spearheaded by the presence of their twin towers — the athletic 6-foot-9 forward Japeth Aguilar, and seven-foot slotman Greg Slaughter.
That has changed, though. In the third chapter of this rivalry, the Bolts now have the 6-foot-8 Raymond Almazan in tow — the presence they have been yearning for years.
“They definitely got bigger and filled the hole in the middle with Raymond,” said Slaughter during the pre-Finals press conference, Saturday afternoon at Sambokojin in Eastwood, Quezon City.
Almazan himself has expressed that he really looks forward to going up against his counterparts in the Barangay.
“Gusto ko ‘yun kasi talagang mga big man ‘yun eh.”
That match-up is definitely one to look forward to, in the series that starts January 8. But for Slaughter, it will not just be about him, or about Ginebra’s bigs going up against Meralco’s frontcourt.
Slaughter mentioned that Ginebra also has a key addition in Stanley Pringle, whom the team got last June via trade with NorthPort that saw it let go of Sol Mercado, Kevin Ferrer, and Jervy Cruz.
Many expect Pringle to be the X-factor for the Gin Kings in the series. The reigning scoring champion posted norms of 19.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in their semis bout versus the Batang Pier.
“But we also have a new addition in Stanley. So it will really be interesting to see how it goes out.”
