#PBA2015 GOVS CUP PREVIEW: BGY. GINEBRA GIN KINGS vs BLACKWATER ELITE – DUELONG DIPOLOG

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GIN and BLA are coming into this game in contrasting fashion as the Kings finally nailed a win after beating Kia while the Elite continue to flounder at the bottom of the standings at 0-3. GIN is certainly looking to build on its first win to gain more momentum this conference while BLA surely wants to halt its slump and finally break into the win column.

GIN was great in its last game, withstanding a late rally from the Carnival to prevail. They couldn’t have done it, of course, without the outstanding production of import Orlando Johnson, but credit should also be given to it+ Add New Categorys guard corps, especially Mark Caguioa, Josh Urbiztondo, and LA Tenorio. If those guys can continue to play well (and maybe if big guys Greg Slaughter and Japeth Aguilar return), the Kings shouldn’t have much trouble against the Elite in this game.

BLA, meanwhile, ran into a red-hot Barako Bull squad in its last game. Marcus Douthit put up great numbers again, matching up well with BAR import Liam McMorrow, and he got some help from locals JP Erram, Bam Gamalinda, and Brian Heruela, but they still weren’t able to win mainly because of turnovers and bad field goal shooting. If the Elite want to notch their first win, they have to play more efficiently against the Kings.

Previous results:

PHL Cup

GIN beat BLA, 100-91

COMM Cup

GIN beat BLA, 89-82

1. ORLANDO JOHNSON: UNSTOPPABLE

Orlando Johnson was just unstoppable against Kia. He was hitting shots from everywhere, grabbing rebounds, blocking shots, and dunking over people. GIN got into a deficit early in the game, but once Johnson got into a groove, the Kings seized the initiative and successfully protected it. He should have another great outing against BLA as there doesn’t appear to be anyone who can stop him.

vs KIA: 47pts, 17rebs, 4asts, 1stl, 3blks, 15/25 FGs.

Stats: 47.7ppg, 13.3rpg, 3.0apg, 1.3spg, 1.7bpg, 3.0 triples per game 33.3 3pt%, 58.5 FG%

2. PROVIDING THE SPARK

Mark Caguioa has been up-and-down in GIN’s first two games, but he stepped up and provided a huge spark for the Kings against Kia. Caguioa did really well offensively, hitting 7 of his 12 2pt shots to give Johnson some support. If the veteran SG can be consistent with this kind of production, the Kings should be in great shape in this game.

First 2 games: 10.0ppg, 2.5rpg, 39.1 FG%

vs KIA: 16pts, 3rebs, 46.7 FG%

3. SOL MERCADO: FANTASTIC FACILITATOR

Sol Mercado didn’t score much against Kia, but he compensated by being a sublime facilitator. Mercado has led the league in assists before, so this isn’t a big surprise. He’s such a gifted offensive player that he can make an impact on the game even if he is struggling in shooting ball. He had 8 of his team’s 17 assists against Kia. If BLA fails to stop him from making plays for his teammates, it’ll be a tough game for the Elite.

First 2 games: 10.5ppg, 5.5apg, 2.0spg, 33.3 FG%

vs KIA: 8pts, 8asts, 3stls, 33.3 FG%

4. SANCHIR TUNGALAG: MONGOLIAN MAGIC

After getting benched in GIN’s previous game, Mongolian hotshot Sanchir Tungalag started against Kia and had some interesting moments (cue the Mongolian Magic lay-up). He still looked like a shoot-first, pass-never player, but he was effective in stretches, providing a lot of hustle and energy for the Kings. This early, it looks like Sanchir won’t be the kind of player who can take over a game, but he can certainly be a spark who cannot be overlooked.

Stats: 8.0ppg, 3.0rpg, 30.8 FG%, 77.8 FT%

5. GINEBRA: MISSING THE REBOUNDS

Despite winning, one chink in GIN’s armor against Kia was rebounding. Without Japeth and Greg, it was clear that the Kings struggled to keep Kia’s frontline off the glass. They gave up 59 rebounds to the Carnival while grabbing just 39 of their own. They made up for this on defense, forcing 19 Kia turnovers, but against tougher teams, GIN cannot afford to be grossly outrebounded again.

Rebounds: KIA 59, GIN 39

2nd chance pts: KIA 16, GIN 8

Turnovers: KIA 19, GIN 6

Pts off TOs: KIA 2, GIN 17

6. KUYA MARCUS: CARRYING THE LOAD

One guy GIN will have to focus on defending is BLA import Marcus Douthit, who has been recording great numbers this conference. Douthit has been throwing his weight around, putting up double-doubles left and right, but he hasn’t consistently enjoyed support from the locals, which explains their winless record. Douthit should still play well against GIN, but he will need more locals to step up if they want to come out with a W.

Stats: 24.3ppg, 14.7rpg, 2.7apg, 1.0spg, 4.0bpg, 47.5 FG%

7. REIL-IABLE OR NOT?

Former Kia Carnival player Reil Cervantes is supposed to be one of the Elite’s main local weapons, but he has been a little inconsistent and trigger-happy this conference. The question is whether or not Cervantes is a good scorer, but whether he is a reliable overall player. He needs to be more efficient for BLA to put up a great challenge.

First 2 games: 9.0ppg, 3.5rpg, 2.5 TOpg, 28.0 FG%

vs BAR: 9pts, 4rebs, 5 TOs, 3/10 FGs

8. IMPROVING ERRAM

One bright spot for BLA was JP Erram, who stepped up with a near double-double. The 6’8 former Atenean hasn’t really been able to find his niche yet in the PBA, but if he can blossom into the kind of reliable frontcourt partner who can complement Douthit, his career should flourish and BLA should benefit a lot.

First 2 games: 2.0ppg, 2.0rpg, 0.0bpg, 2/4 FGs total

vs BAR: 12pts, 9rebs, 2blks, 5/8 FGs

9. ELITE: TURNOVERS, FREE THROWS, & FIELD GOALS

BLA shot well from long range (46.7 3pt%) and battled on the boards, but they still lost to BAR mainly because of turnovers, and poor shooting from the line and from the field. Translation? BLA just has to be more efficient. They have some great young talents and a dominant import, so they should really put up a stiffer challenge, especially if GIN remains without its twin tower combo.

BLA vs BAR: 20 turnovers, 61.9 FT%, 39.4 2pt%

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