RJ Abarrientos doesn’t have to look far for inspiration and tips on how to minimize being a liability on defense as Barangay Ginebra tries to catch up with San Miguel in their PBA 50th Season Philippine Cup semifinal series.
After all, he has the greatest small man in league history by his side.
There’s no question about Abarrientos’ offense as the reigning Rookie of the Year has been the Gin Kings’ best player off the bench, averaging 18.3 points in the first three games of the series that the Beermen lead, 2-1.
READ Chris Ross savors fun, competitive 'battle' with RJ Abarrientos
But the 5-foot-11 sophomore point guard’s work on the other end has left something to be desired. Abarrientos has been the Beermen’s target in their offensive sets, feeding whoever is matched up with him in the post and maximizing their height advantage.
His legendary uncle and Gin Kings assistant coach Johnny Abarrientos offered some advice.
“Part yun nung ano niya eh, kasi even before he started, lagi siyang hina-hunt for the mismatches eh. Kailangan niya matutong dumipensa. Wala siyang choice,” the elder Abarrientos admitted.
“Pero, hindi pwedeng maging battle for him yun eh, na maging one-on-one yung game,” he was quick to add. “Kailangang maintindihan niya: Pag na-shootan siya, kailangan niya mag-respond ng one-on-one to prove themselves na mas better siya. Hindi ganun eh. Kailangan team concept pa rin. Yun yung unang process.”
“Pangalawa, kailangan niya dumipensa on his own. Yun lang yun,” he continued.
So how can RJ defend better?
“Marami namang technique kasi na pwede. Tagal ko rin naglaro ng pro, wala namang bumully sa akin,” the elder Abarrientos beamed.
Johnny A walked the talk. Generously listed at 5’8”, Abarrientos was a pest on defense, evidenced by being the PBA’s all-time steals leader with 1,358 swipes in 742 games and being a five-time All-Defensive Team member.
“So, it's a matter of pride and technique lang naman para magawan niya ng paraan. Ganun talaga yung basketball nowadays,” said the PBA MVP in 1996 when he led Alaska to just the fourth grand slam in league history.
Apart from the younger Abarrientos, the rest of the Gin Kings have to step up defensively as a unit to have a better chance against the powerhouse Beermen, according to Johnny A.
“Yung goal namin kasi [is] to stop June Mar [Fajardo] eh, diba? Double-double siya nung first two games. So, nagawa namin, pero siguro sa lahat ng teams ngayon, wala namang makaka-match ang San Miguel eh. Given naman yun."
The Gin Kings managed to hold Fajardo to six points on eight attempts in Game Three after letting the nine-time MVP dominate with an average of 24 points and 23 rebounds in the first two outings.
But the Beermen flaunted their depth as Jeron Teng stepped up in Game Two before Don Trollano regained his touch in Game Three and looked like the elite wingman he was entering the Final Four.
“We're trying our best na maka-stay on their own until the fourth quarter Tapos ma-snatch namin yung game. Pero, toe-to-toe, personnel for personnel, wala kaming chance,” Abarrientos admitted.
“Never naman humina ang San Miguel, even before my time. So, given yun. You play your best every time against San Miguel. Yun lang yun,” he added. Kaya kailangan maintindihan mo yung value nung team para talunin mo yung isang team like San Miguel.”
Ginebra's strength
Abarrientos believes the Gin Kings’ strength lies in their second unit that he hopes head coach Tim Cone would utilize more.
“Kasi nakita namin yung second group namin, kaya nilang bumalik eh. So, we can go deeper. Hopefully, makita ni coach Tim yun. We can go deeper [with our] bench. Para pagdating ng dulo, fresh pa rin yung starters.”
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