By REYNALD MAGALLON
While half of the teams in the ongoing PBA Commissioner’s Cup had pulled the trigger on several import switches – some even already fielded multiple players as reinforcements – Barangay Ginebra found security and stability in its own choice in Tony Bishop.
Head coach Tim Cone underlined the value of sticking with one import right from the beginning of the conference as it worked well for the Kings especially for their system and to the team’s chemistry.
“I think that’s really crucial (sticking with one import) . That’s always been a hallmark of our teams. We have a complicated system and you need to grow within the system. You need to have time to grow within the system,” said Cone.
“We don’t expect guys to come in and pick it up and we feel if we have a guy late in the conference come in it’s gonna be a very much of a distraction because we are going back to ground zero,” he added.
To set things straight, Bishop isn’t playing badly for Ginebra to be a subject for ‘import change’ discussions but some fans have noted how the Kings import was not as explosive as his other counterparts in the conference nor as clutch as his predecessor in Justin Brownlee, particularly during the team’s two-game slide in the eliminations.
Bishop, for his part, is averaging 22.11 points, 11.89 rebounds, 3.44 assists, 2.44 steals and 1.11 blocks through nine games played. His numbers weren’t eye-popping but he remained effective for the Kings, who sport a 7-3 record and are still very much in contention for the Top 4 spots which dangle a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals.
The team is also on a three-game win streak with one game left on its elimination assignments.
Cone had already stressed in the past that Bishop’s value goes beyond his scoring but also his ability to provide the intangibles. He provided all-around numbers of 26 points, 16 rebounds and five steals in Ginebra’s 103-93 win over NorthPort, all while also leading the fourth quarter breakaway.
“It was really a great performance tonight on both sides of the floor. Defensively, his ability to switch out on players really adds to our defense. And he controls the board with his length. So I keep telling him that anything he gives us from the point standpoint is (only) the icing on the cake,” Cone said of Bishop.
That effectiveness on the floor is what also gives Cone confidence to stick with his import who has fully integrated himself into Ginebra’s system.
“He’s worked really really hard from day one to integrate himself into what we are and as you can see he’s getting better and better at it. That’s the whole point: be better at it and be where he wants to be come playoff time,” stressed the multi-titled mentor.
“We do have that continuity and that belief in what we do. I think it’s a real advantage for us to keep the continuity with Tony in the lineup all the way through,” he added.
