JOHNEDEL Cardel may have lost the main core of the Terrafirma team that reached the PBA playoffs for the first time in almost a decade.
But he’s also drooling at the prospect of having a high-scoring veteran backcourt and a formidable frontline as well.
“Imagine si Stanley (Pringle) as our leader together with Juami (Tiongson). Dalawa sila sa backcourt. And with (Christian) Standhardinger, he’s the second best big man sa PBA after June Mar Fajardo. So me go-to-guy na ako sa ilalim,” the Dyip mentor said.
Cardel being this excited is understandable.
Terrafirma and Barangay Ginebra pulled off a blockbuster trade on Saturday that saw the Kings send Standhardinger and Pringle along with their no. 10 first round pick in Sunday’s draft to the Dyip for last year’s top rookie pick Stephen Holt, Isaac Go, and the no. 3 overall pick in the Season 49 draft.
Of course, Holt, the leading contender for the Rookie of the Year, and Go played major roles in resuscitating the franchise from the bottom of the standings to become a playoff team during the Philippine Cup.
Holt and Go, along with Tiongson, Andreas Cahilig, Javi Gomez De Liano, and Aldrech Ramos formed the core of a Dyip side that eventually reached the quarterfinals and came a win short of toppling the star-studded San Miguel Beermen.
Suddenly, the Dyip lost Holt and Go to the Ginebra trade, while Gomez De Liano opted to sign with the Korean Basketball League (KBL) team Anyang Red Boosters.
Cardel is aware chemistry could again hamper Terrafirma from its growth from last season.
But knowing both Pringle and Standhardinger as veterans in the league, he expects the two to fit in nicely to the Terrafirma system in no time at all.
Besides, he has also handled Pringle previously at Northport during the time when he briefly served as its coach back in 2016.
“Yes, maapektuhan (yung chemistry), pero made-develop naman yun. Hardworking naman itong mga players na nakuha namin,” Cardel said.
Likewise, he remains upbeat about the Dyip remaining a playoff contender in the league’s coming Season 49.
“Yun pa rin ang goal natin makabalik ulit sa quarterfinals. And kung suwertihin, maka-semis naman with the experience nila Stanley and Standhardinger,” said Cardel.
As for Holt and Go, the former PBA player from De La Salle said he has nothing but good wishes to both his former wards.
“Mababait ang mga yun. And I’m happy that they made their own name habang nasa Terrafirma sila."
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