FILE PHOTO–Ginebra coach Tim Cone. –PBA IMAGES
Topping the competitive nature of last year’s PBA All-Star Game could be a tough act to follow for those set to take part in this weekend’s midseason classic in Bacolod City.
“I think it comes down to the agreement of the players,” Barangay Ginebra coach Tim Cone, who will call the shots for Team Japeth against Team Barroca on Sunday at University of St. La Salle Gym, told the Inquirer recently. “The players got to agree that ‘This is how we wanna play it and this is the way we are gonna play it.’
“And that’s the kind we want to emulate, so we’ll see,” he added.
The previous edition in Passi City, Iloilo, saw a contest that went down the wire, with Cone and Team Japeth edging out Team Scottie, 140-136.
Guys like Magnolia’s Paul Lee, named the game’s Most Valuable Player for his marksmanship from downtown, particularly from the special four-point line which will once again be put in place, later talked about their desire to treat the game as if something was at stake rather than what it was advertised as—an exhibition.
Those expected to tune in are hoping to see the same in The City of Smiles.
“The All-Star Game in the NBA (National Basketball Association) was really bad also, right before ours [last year], so we kinda made it a point that we wouldn’t be like that,” said Cone, pointing out how an eyesore the last two NBA All-Star Games were.
“We think a more competitive game is more entertaining for the fans, not just layup drills or taking wild three-point shots. The more competitive game, the more entertaining.”
Skills events
The PBA delegation has a red-eye flight on Thursday for Bacolod where they’ll spend the next two days drumming up interest for the weekend extravaganza.
Saturday will see a mixture of All-Stars and role players represent their teams in skills events before the Rookies, Sophomores and Juniors Game takes place.
The festivities conclude on Sunday with the centerpiece All-Star Game where the team drafted by Ginebra’s Japeth Aguilar faces those chosen by Magnolia’s Mark Barroca and coached by San Miguel Beer’s Jorge Gallent.
Defense, however, could be nonexistent for most of the way.
“Last year, we got a really competitive one. It was a little bit high scoring, but that’s because everyone’s really good offensively. So you gonna get high-scoring games in an All-Star Game because they’re really good. It’s hard to stop them.”
That being said, Cone is in no mood to copy this year’s NBA version.
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“We don’t want a 200-point All-Star Game,” he said.