By REYNALD MAGALLON
Barangay Ginebra head coach Tim Cone couldn’t help but marvel at how the return of Scottie Thompson suddenly turned things around for his team following a roller coaster start to the 2024 PBA Philippine Cup.
The veteran tactician hailed Thompson as the breath of fresh air the Kings exactly needed after splitting their first six games, 3-3, including back-to-back losses to San Miguel Beermen and Terrafirma Dyip.
Thompson made his return from a nagging back injury and Ginebra suddenly returned to its usual dominant form.
“When Scottie came back, it was like a breath of fresh air. Everything came back with it,” said Cone.
“Suddenly, the ball is whizzing around, we’re getting almost 30 assists a game. He is all over on the rebounds. The effort level that he brings is infectious with everybody else,” as the Kings now on a roll with three-straight wins since Thompson return.
Thompson’s impact on Ginebra was even more magnified during Ginebra’s 87-83 win over TNT. Not only that the do-it-all guard anchored the Kings on both ends of the floor, he also drilled the dagger triple while putting a body on the Tropang Giga’s best offensive player in Calvin Oftana.
“He’s not only our best offensive player and our best rebounder, he’s also our best defender. We put a lot of demands on Scottie and he delivers almost consistently, tremendously well all the time,” said Cone.
Through three games so far, Thompson put up 10.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 3.0 steals and 1.0 blocks per contest. Such numbers were more so important for the Kings who are now looking to navigate through life without athletic wingman Jamie Malonzo.
Cone said Ginebra couldn’t afford to have Thompson sidelined by his back issue again as they take a cautious approach in managing his minutes.
“It’s very obvious the value he brings to us and how much we need him. I’m just hoping that back doesn’t get worn down and that he has to sit out again. It’s really a game to game thing with him with that back issue,” Cone pointed out.
