Phoenix debuts new import against skidding TNT

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PHOENIX coach Koy Banal knows Tropang TNT is at its most dangerous right now, what with the defending champion having lost three straight.

That’s why Banal can’t stress enough the need for his Fuelmasters to be on their toes when they tangle with the Tropang Texters Saturday in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Mall of Asia Arena. Game time is 3 p.m.

A win by Phoenix, parading a new import in Kevinn Pinkney, would bounce it back from an 87-90 loss to Meralco last Sunday and give the league’s newest member solo sixth-running spot.

Banal knows it won’t be easy.

“We are expecting them to really come out strong against us,” said Banal.

The first of those TNT losses came when, first, import Ivan Johnson got thrown out in a match against Meralco and the second to GlobalPort after the Texters were still in the process of finding a replacement for Johnson.

David Simon finally was tapped and came in to see action against Alaska, but the lack of familiarity with his new teammates and Uichico’s system told and eventually led to a 100-108 defeat last Wednesday.

Still, Simon came up with impressive numbers of 35 points and 19 rebounds on top of four blocked shots, prompting coach Jong Uichico to believe they have found the right import.

“He gave us the numbers that we needed,” Uichico has said of Simon following the Alaska game.

That is main reason why Banal and management brought in Pinkney to replace Andrew Adeleke.

Adeleke has not been doing badly for Phoenix, averaging 15.5 points and a tournament-high 20.5 rebounds a night. But much like Meralco TNT and the Fuelmasters’ other remaining opponents have an array of big men who could be thrown at the Nigerian. This was showcased against the Bolts, when Adeleke was held to only 13 points.

Pinkney, who arrived last Wednesday, is a 32-year-old former star at University of Nevada, Reno who had a brief stint with the Boston Celtics and strutted his stuff mainly in Europe and, lately, Central and South America.

The kind of game Pinkney, who is listed at 6-10, would bring to the table is one cause of concern for Uichico. “They have a new import that we must read during the game,” he said.

Simply put, Phoenix could not rely on Pinkney alone, however.

RR Garcia was explosive in his first game of the conference with 33 points, but must be able to solve the defensive puzzle posed by the likes of Ryan Reyes, Aaron Aban and Larry Fonacier or else be held to 15 points, as in against the Bolts, or less.

Should Garcia again be shackled, the likes of JC Intal, Josh Urbiztondo, Willy Wilson and Chico Lanete must step up.

Expected to make it an even longer night for Banal and his charges are the likes of TNT’s usual go-to guys in Jayson Castro and Ranidel de Ocampo as well as the projected explosion from the likes of Moala Tautuaa and Troy Rosario.

Banal, however, has drawn up a basic strategy which he hopes would hold.

“The plan is just to match their intensity and to defend well for us to be able to bounce back,” stated Banal.

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