KENT Salado is starting to gain a spot in the Barangay Ginebra rotation in his second season with the PBA's most popular team.
Salado played quality minutes for the Gin Kings in a 108-82 win over NorthPort on Friday, scoring seven points and bringing intangibles in the lopsided game. He was at his best in the second quarter when Ginebra broke the game open, 34-14.
“Kent got some real meaningful minutes tonight,” said Cone of the former Arellano guard, who was picked in the second round at 22nd overall back in the 2019 PBA draft but has mostly ridden the Ginebra bench.
"That’s the key. He can get minutes but he had meaningful minutes in terms of taking over for LA [Tenorio], guarding [Robert] Bolick for a while. He does like seven straight points at one point. Kinda changed the tempo of the game.
"That’s the things we are expecting of him. He has been hard to hold off. He is the one that forced his way into the lineup because of all the things he does day in and day out,” said Cone.
Johnny comparisons
The 5-foot-9 Salado, who played scant minutes in a total of nine games in the 2020 and 2021 Philippine Cups, is starting to remind Cone of former Alaska star Johnny Abarrientos, but on a smaller scale, of course.
“I don’t want to put this pressure on him because it’s medyo malayo. He has a little characteristics of Johnny Abarrientos. Just characteristics that when I look at him and I see the way he runs or when he gets a steal and does a pull-up jumper of his, it just brings back memories of Johnny a little bit.”
Cone though clarified: “They're still far apart. Johnny is obviously a Hall of Famer, and in my mind, the best point guard in the PBA ever. It’s hard to compare everybody with him. He has certain characteristics that remind me of Johnny.”
Regardless, Cone said Salado is earning a place in the Ginebra roster with the effort that he brings not just in games but in practices as well that is invaluable especially early in the conference when the Gin Kings are without the injured Stanley Pringle.
“I guess the word is irrepressible for him. You can’t ignore him. He makes something happen every time he is on the court whether it be in practice or practice games or a real game, he is always instigating something," he said.
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