Kings still trying to become bigger, meaner

Ginebra's bid to become taller and bigger in the coming PBA season is far from over.

Kings coach Jong Uichico yesterday told Malaya his team has until early next month to come up with the additional ceiling that will help them contend with the rest of the teams.

"We're still filling up some of our spots and hopefully we can put the finger on the final lineup we want by the end of this week," said Uichico.

What is definite for Uichico is the idea of which teams to keep up with.

"Talk N Text, San Miguel Beer and Purefoods, because they can effectively play big or small. I don't have that luxury yet," said Uichico.

The Philippine Cup opens on Oct. 11 and Uichico hopes to have a contending roster by then, including four major players, Mark Caguioa, Junthy Valenzuela, Eric Menk and Jayjay Helterbrand, who should be completely healed from their injuries.

Caguioa is already practicing with the team after missing the entire season-ending Fiesta Conference due to a knee injury while Valenzuela is already strengthening his own knee that was operated on last February.

Menk suffered from a strained muscle between his calf and Achilles tendon and is set to return next week from a US vacation while Helterbrand has been given until the first week of September to heal his hamstring injury.

Uichico stressed they are closely watching the progress of Caguioa and Valenzuela.

"With Mark, so far so good. He's been reacting positively to intensive training, pero ang tinitingnan namin how his knee will react kapag sunod-sunod na ang games at practices. Baka kasi mag-react negatively, pahinga na naman siya ng matagal," Uichico said.

"Si Junthy naman, question mark pa rin pagdating sa basketball stage," Uichico added. "Any time now, baka maalis na ang sakit, then he can start going 100 percent na sa strengthening. But we're giving him an extra month, to see how it goes."

The return of Caguioa, Helterbrand and Valenzuela, however, can only add on to Ginebra's intrinsic strength, which are its small men that includes Cyrus Baguio, Chico Lanete, Ronald Tubid and Sunday Salvacion.

The team's real problem lies in the frontline, as showcased in its Fiesta finals against eventual champion SMB.

"Once we went big, we sacrificed so much in offense. Once we went small, outmatched naman kami," he pointed out.

Trades with Purefoods have netted Ginebra slotman Enrico Villanueva and forwards Rich Alvarez and Paolo Bugia, as well as playmaker Celino Cruz. Noli Cortez - Malaya Online Edition

SOURCE: http://www.ngetstudio.com/news/?id=b658f49c-e275-4c73-b314-75ed9d2f03fd