MANILA, Philippines – The once undermanned and undersized Brgy. Ginebra Kings suddenly got deeper and bigger after their big moves in the off-season via trade and through the draft.
On Sunday, the Kings used their no. 1 pick to select 7-foot center Greg Slaughter then traded away former Rookie of the Year Rico Maierhofer and Willy Wilson to get Barako Bull’s fourth pick which they used to tab Fil-Canadian wingman James Forrester out of Arellano University.
The two rookies are expected to get signed within the five-day moratorium and crack the Kings’ rotation.
“Kailangan munang malaman nung dalawa ang sistema namin. We know naman na madalang lang makakuha ng ganyang kalaki with Greg Slaughter. Together with James Forrester, they will be a big help for us,†Ginebra coach Ato Agustin told Philstar.com after the draft.
Aside from its prized acquisitions in the first round, Ginebra also selected the 6-7, wide-bodied Fil-Hawaiian John Usita (4th round) and a pair of guards in Alvin Padilla (5th round) and Jens Knuttel (6th round).
The Kings immediately turned from the league’s smallest to the biggest frontline in an instant with Slaughter, 6-9 Japeth Aguilar and 6-8 Jay-R Reyes, whom they got in the Kerby Raymundo trade, Usita and veteran 6-6 center Billy Mamaril.
“Biglang lumaki kami. Kahit malalaki yan, tumatakbo ang mga yan. Tatakbo kami. Yan ang Ginebra eh, run-and-gun,†Agustin added.
Former Ginebra coach turned team manager Alfrancis Chua explained the choice of the gangling center Slaughter over 6-7 Ian Sangalang, whom San Mig Coffee coach Tim Cone described as the most PBA-ready among the this season’s batch of rookies.
“Sa kalye kapag makasalubong ka ng kasing-height mo, di ka magugulat eh. Makasalubong ka ng ganyang kalaki, magugulat ka eh. Sa laro pa kaya? Itaas lang niya kamay niya, mag-iiba na ang tira mo eh†Chua told Philstar.com.
“It’s about time for us to get a big man dahil mahihirapan na kami ulit makakuha ng ganun kalaki.â€
Chua, who is still actively helping Agustin on the Ginebra bench, sees a lot of potential for this beefed-up Ginebra team.
“When I was the coach of this team, kulang-kulang kami, wala kaming malaki pero napatakbo namin eh, lalo pa ngayon. Even though I’m the manager, I’m still very much part of this team, I have to help so napakalaking bagay yun na makakuha kami ng malalaki,†said the pony-tailed Ginebra executive.
Ginebra point guard LA Tenorio, who came short of winning last season’s MVP award, could not be happier with the new-look Kings but tempered the high expectations that accompanied the major revamp.
“We can’t be too excited. Kailangan pa rin naming magtrabaho. No.1 problem for us is paano kami mag-jell right away. Yun ang importante sa amin ngayon. Secondly, mga bata din so kailangan ng guidance naming mga veterans,†said Tenorio, who also got a solid back-up in sophomore Emman Monfort that came via another trade with Barako Bull in exchange for third-stringer Rob Labagala.