THREE-POINT shooting has been a huge reason why Barangay Ginebra remains in the title hunt in the PBA 50th Season Commissioner's Cup.
Led by Justin Brownlee and RJ Abarrientos, the Gin Kings have transformed themselves into a long-range-bombing team, leading the league in total makes with 157, five ahead of Rain or Shine after the elimination round.
If the Gin Kings go even deeper into their campaign and maintain their average of 13 triples per game, they could surpass last season's output in the same conference when they connected on 241 treys through 27 games.
Ginebra has actually already eclipsed its output during the 48th Season Comm's Cup when they had 132 threes in 15 games, when Brownlee wasn't around and Abarrientos was still playing overseas.
This comes at a time when Gin Kings head coach Tim Cone, also the shot-caller for Gilas Pilipinas, has been more exposed to international play where three-point shooting has become all-important.
“It's a big adjustment for me, obviously, because I've never been a real three-point shooting coach,” said Cone.
The big adjustment from being a team that pounds the ball in the paint to one that hunts for shots from beyond the arc, according to the 25-time PBA champion coach, was dictated by their personnel.
“We've been just trying to create more three-point shots through our triangle, giving them a free rein,” he said. “We've got the personnel to shoot.”
JB, RJ lead the way
Brownlee and Abarrientos are at the center of Ginebra's strategic change - and have thrived in it.
As usual, Brownlee is among the best shooters among imports, with 29 during the 12-game elims, second behind Elasto Painter Jaylen Johnson who had 35.
Abarrientos, in his sophomore year, leads the league with 41 threes after the elims, all while shooting 42-percent from deep. He is close to surpassing his performance in the Philippine Cup where he totaled 45.
“We've got two guys that can break down the defense in terms of Justin and RJ. They create a lot of openings for other people to shoot threes,” said Cone.
But it's not only Brownlee and Abarrientos who are connecting from long-range.
Stephen Holt has become a real threat from outside, making good on 29 during the elims - only one less than he made for the entire Philippine Cup where he saw action in 19 games. He is also hitting his long-range shots at a rate of 48-percent, way above the 33-percent he had last conference.
Second-stringer Ralph Cu then leads the league in three-point percentage at 55-percent on 12-of-22 treys made.
“I wouldn't say that we've made a decision to change. But it's evolved that way, especially with Stephen on the floor,” Cone said.
“Before, we had Christian Standhardinger and all that, we were really a power, inside team. But we have to evolve with the personnel that we have and the bigs that we have - Isaac [Go], Norbert [Torres], now Kemark [Carino]," he added, referring to all the modern bigs he now has at his disposal.
"Even Japeth [Aguilar], he is a good perimeter shooter, not necessarily a three-point shooter, but a perimeter shooter. We have to adapt.”
Let them eat
With all the shooters the Gin Kings now have, it was incumbent on Cone and his staff to make the adjustments to give their players more opportunities to succeed.
“It wasn't really by intention, but we have gathered a three-point shooting team between Ralph, Steve (Holt), RJ, Justin, Scottie [Thompson], his shots have developed and even our bigs Isaac, Norbert, Troy [Rosario], they are all three-point shooters," he said.
"We have to let them eat because that's what they do well. Again, our personnel say they need to shoot threes. We are letting them eat.”
As Ginebra becomes a good three-point shooting team, Cone is also hoping that these concepts could also be eventually applied to Gilas.
“Hopefully, I'm getting smarter as I get older and I can bring a little bit of that to the national team,” he said.
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