BARANGAY Ginebra may have beaten Magnolia on Sunday night in their PBA Philippine Cup battle, but he expects a more formidable foe come playoff time especially now that the Hotshots have William Navarro in their fold.
Gin Kings head coach Tim Cone said the Hotshots got a major upgrade with Navarro, who was acquired in a trade with NorthPort in exchange for Calvin Abueva, Jerrick Balanza, and Magnolia’s 51st Season second-round draft pick.
READ Navarro under no illusion that he is Magnolia's 'savior'
“Magnolia is great,” Cone said. “They are going to be better even when Navarro settles in on their team.”
“He is not quite settled there yet. But when he gets settled, they are going to be really, really tough to handle in the playoffs. Tonight, we really beat a tough team.”
Ginebra defeated Magnolia, 85-81, on Sunday after overcoming a 10-point deficit. The Hotshots got that lead early the fourth quarter, 71-61, on a three-pointer by Navarro, who finished with five points and four rebounds in his Hotshots debut.
Ginebra and Magnolia could end up in the same bracket and on a collision course if both teams reach the semifinals. The Gin Kings are currently at No. 4 with a 6-3 slate while the Hotshots are in a tie with NLEX at first on 7-2 records.
Even though it was Navarro’s first game with Magnolia, Ginebra isn’t unfamiliar with him coming into the match-up, having faced him multiple times with NorthPort during last conference’s PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals.
Cone said incorporating a talent such as Navarro will certainly take time.
“They are still trying to search that out. I think they are trying to figure out where he fits. That’s basically what you do when you bring somebody in that’s really talented. It’s hard to figure out exactly where he fits right away because you want to use all of his skills,” said Cone.
“They will figure it out and they will be better with it no doubt,” Cone added.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
