At A Glance
- Ginebra head coach Tim Cone reassured RJ Abarrientos of his trust despite the young guard's recent struggles in the PBA Philippine Cup playoffs.
RJ Abarrientos (PBA Images)
Ginebra head coach Tim Cone reassured RJ Abarrientos of his trust despite the young guard’s recent struggles in the PBA Philippine Cup playoffs.
The league's winningest coach emphasized that he and the coaching staff are committed to trusting their players and giving them a boost through rough stretches on the floor.
“I mean, we're a coaching staff that really tries to trust guys that no matter how much they struggle, we're going to keep, that we try to send a message, we're going to stay with you,” said Cone.
That also explained why the veteran coach chooses not to force LA Tenorio with much playing time and instead give Abarrientos his minutes.
“We've done it with LA [Tenorio] and when he was younger, we did it with Scottie [Thompson]. And that's just something that he's going to go through some bad games,” he added.
Abarrientos committed a crucial late-game error in their Game 6 semifinal against San Miguel after throwing an errant pass to Scottie Thompson that sailed out of bounds.
He finished with 12 points but was on a 4-of-14 shooting on the field and had three turnovers.
Nevertheless, Cone continues to believe in Abarrientos despite his performance.
“But the message is, we believe in you. We're going to continue to throw you out there and you're going to have your opportunities. So, you know, that's not going to change for RJ,” he added.
The Gin Kings are set to go toe-to-toe with the Beermen in a do-or-die semifinal showdown on Wednesday, July 9, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. (ANGELO CAPARAS/INTERN)