Ginebra head coach Tim Cone disclosed that the team is actively searching for pieces that could fill what has been a gaping hole in their wing position.
This comes after the Kings learned that they will miss the services of Jamie Malonzo due to a calf injury, becoming the latest addition to their injury/reserve list that presently has the recuperating Aljon Mariano and Jeremiah Gray.
“We’re looking for help. We’re looking for help outside the lineup to fill that void,” the champion mentor said shortly after their 87-83 win over TNT in PBA Season 48 Philippine Cup action, Friday night at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.
The Tropang Giga game was the Barangay’s first outing without the 6-foot-6 Malonzo, who got hurt just before the final buzzer rang on their 95-88 victory over NorthPort last April 14 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
He’ll be out for six to eight weeks, leaving Cone and the coaches with no choice but to use other players out of position just to address the problem.
“A year or so ago, that was our strongest, deepest position … Now that position has become the thinnest position in our team,” he said.
“I think Sidney [Onweubere] is our kind of our four-man and after Sidney, we go down to a guard. We really don’t have anything in between. We don’t have a wing man in the roster except for maybe Ralph [Cu].
“And Ralph’s trying to fit in there at this point. But he’s not a defensive three, he’s more of a stretch four. We don’t have anyone backing him up. So there’s a big gap between our four-man and our two-man,” added Cone.
(C) PBA Images
But knowing that it won’t be that sustainable moving forward, the Kings are now looking at various options to acquire talents for the particular position.
Cone confirmed reports that they are trying to pick up Dave Murrell off waivers from Magnolia. The Fil-Am cager has been in and out of the Hotshots’ lineup since arriving via multi-player trade with Converge back in April of last year.
“I think we already put a claim in for Dave Murrell. And we’re waiting to see if anybody else is going to pick him up,” he said.
But the search for players, Cone said, doesn’t just stop within the PBA as Ginebra could also be looking at other possible sources of talent.
(C) PBA Images
“Is there a trade pending? Not at all. Have we talked to other teams? Not at all. Yet. That’s what this week is going to be about. Again, could be a free agent, could be somebody who’s been released by another team,” he said as Ginebra is being linked with Converge’s Deschon Winston.
“But we’re looking at some guys from the MPBL that have gone there recently,” added Cone.
“That’s on us, that’s what you do as a team. You find out where your holes are and you try to fill them.”
