Mahindra, GlobalPort parade new players
MAKING do with what they have is the common thinking between GlobalPort and Mahindra when they collide Friday kicking off their PBA Philippine Cup campaign at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Johnedel Cardel is set to call the shots for a GlobalPort team that underwent some retooling in the off-season and now has five new players led by JR Quinahan, Mike Cortez and Gilas player Von Pessumal.
That overhaul pales when compared to what Mahindra did.
Now sporting the Floodbusters moniker, the former Enforcers traded away Aldrech Ramos, Paolo Taha and Bradwyn Guinto and let go of KG Canaleta, all vital cogs in their run to several franchise milestones in the last Governors Cup, including a first-ever quarterfinals stint and a fifth place finish.
There are now nine new players in Mahindra, led by Gilas player Russel Escoto and seasoned veterans Alex Mallari and Ryan Arana, and chemistry is the biggest issue surrounding the team.
How coach Chris Gavina, chief assistant to playing-coach Manny Pacquiao, and the team veterans, led by LA Revilla and Mark Yee, hold the Floodbusters together in what is projected to be a rocky campaign is the biggest question.
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