WAITING TO POUNCE
THIS is one opportunity Barako Bull shouldn’t pass up.
The Energy try to pounce on Talk N Text’s perceived vulnerability due to the absence of some key players when they open up their campaign Friday in the PBA Governors Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Tropang Texters must make do without Gilas Pilipinas heroes Jimmy Alapag, Jayson Castro, Ranidel de Ocampo and Larry Fonacier and that should be one opening Barako must exploit to the fullest.
“The RP players will miss at least three games as management has given them time off to recover from the grind of the FIBA Asia competitions,” related TNT coach Norman Black.
Barako active consultant Rajko Toroman will only believe it once he sees it. “We still don’t know who will play for them,” he insisted, adding the Texters should never ever be taken lightly.
“Talk N Text is Talk N Text. It will be tough for us,” said the Serbian national.
For Black, it will be a matter of how his other players pick up the cudgels. “We will just do the best we can with our remaining players,” he said.
“Ryan (Reyes), Rabeh (Al-Hussaini), Ali (Peek), Sean Anthony and the other guys will have to step up to support Tony (Mitchell).”
Mitchell alone is a grave enough threat.
Coming in to wrap up TNT’s Commissioner’s Cup campaign, Mitchell showed why he was named Rookie of the Year in the last NBA D-League season by posting three-game averages of 38.67 points and 11.33 rebounds.
Barako, however, has its own tools and showed it can keep up with the best teams during its tuneup matches.
“We had a pretty good pre-conference and I am optimistic,” said Toroman. (NC)
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