TIM Cone is thrilled to have a healthy big man in the Barangay Ginebra frontcourt once it starts its campaign in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
The champion coach said the arrival of Troy Rosario in time for the mid-season conference is a welcome one for the Kings as an added pieces down low to team up with Japeth Aguilar and import Justine Brownlee.
The 6-foot-8 Rosario had his first week of practice with Cone, who only joined the Kings last Monday following his coaching duties with Gilas Pilipinas, and the veteran mentor liked what he initially saw.
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“He’s going to impact us in so many ways, from defense to rebounding to assisting, to scoring and stretching the floor,” Cone pointed out.
Rosario, a former Gilas Pilipinas pool player, joined the Kings as an unrestricted free agent after spending the first nine seasons of his career suiting up with TNT and Blackwater.
He shunned offers from the Bossing, Tropang Giga, and Converge FiberXers to take his act at Ginebra and fulfill a childhood dream of playing for his favorite team.
For Cone, the feeling is mutual.
“He’s one of those guys I’ve watched from a distance and said to myself that I’d love to have him on our team. Now the reality is true,” he said.
Rosario, 32, is expected to make an outright impact at Ginebra as he fills a huge void left in the middle following the injuries to big men Isaac Go and Jamie Malonzo.
Despite only having a 37-year-old Aguilar to man the frontcourt alongside Brownlee – with help later provided by 42-year-old Joe Devance – the Kings were still good enough to make it all the way to the finals of the Governors’ Cup where they eventually lost the title series to Rondae Hollis Jefferson and the Tropang Giga.
Now Cone will have additional size to work on going to the Kings’ conference debut on Wednesday against the NLEX Road Warriors.
Cone ecstatic
And the Ginebra coach most of all, was grateful to Barangay Ginebra team governor and SMC sports director Alfrancis Chua for making everything possible.
“We have to give coach Al all the credit for convincing him (Rosario) to join us. We’re ecstatic that Troy chose us,” he said.
“It will be fun to throw him in the mix and see how far he can go.”
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