Over the past two games in the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup, Barangay Ginebra faced off against two newly-retooled squads — Magnolia, which recently acquired William Navarro, and longtime rival TNT, which bolstered its guard rotation with the addition of Jordan Heading.
Despite the challenges these teams presented, Ginebra head coach Tim Cone acknowledged that his team’s playoff-boosting victories were aided, in part, by the fact that both the Hotshots and the Tropang Giga are still adjusting to the integration of their new high-caliber talents.
With back-to-back wins over Magnolia and TNT, the Gin Kings have solidified their place in the top four, now holding a 7-3 record alongside San Miguel and the Hotshots (7-3), just behind NLEX at 8-2.
“We didn’t really give it much thought. It was probably an advantage that he played in his first game against us, just like when we played Magnolia in Navarro’s first game. They were trying to figure out where to fit him, he was trying to figure out his teammates,” Cone said following Ginebra’s commanding 97-78 win over TNT at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila.
“It comes out either one way or the other — it comes out that it gives them a big lift, plays great, or he comes out and struggles a little bit. It’s usually either one or the other. We’ve been on the good side of it with Navarro against Magnolia and here with Heading against Talk ‘N Text,” he added.
(C) PBA Images
Much like his earlier caution regarding the potential threat Magnolia now poses with Navarro, Cone admitted that he’s wary of facing TNT once Heading gets fully acclimated to head coach Chot Reyes’ system.
Navarro, in his debut with Magnolia, struggled with just five points on 2-of-6 shooting. TNT, meanwhile, appeared to be cautiously experimenting with Heading, who returned to action for the first time since the Commissioner’s Cup Quarterfinals.
The sharpshooter posted 10 points on 4-of-9 shooting, along with three rebounds, three assists, and a steal.
Now part of a crowded backcourt that includes RR Pogoy, Simon Enciso, Rey Nambatac, and Kim Aurin, Heading has the potential to significantly raise TNT’s ceiling. Cone believes his addition could be key to the Tropang Giga’s ambitions for a Grand Slam — an elusive feat last achieved by San Mig Coffee in 2014.
“I don’t wanna play [TNT] four games from now. Three or four games from now, they’re gonna figure out where Heading is gonna fit, and we know he’s a huge talent. He fits the style and the tempo of which they play. Given a little bit more time, he’s gonna be huge for what they do,” said Cone, who also serves as the Gilas Pilipinas head coach.
“I remember leaning on to Richard [Del Rosario] and saying, ‘Wow, this team is suddenly really deep with [Brandon] Ganuelas-Rosser and Heading coming off the bench along with the other guys they have.’ They fortified their team at the right time before the playoffs start.”
