AS Barangay Ginebra gears up for the PBA Philippine Cup playoffs, coach Tim Cone is sure glad to have another veteran Maverick Ahanmisi back in the lineup to bring backcourt stability.
The American mentor admitted that he never expected the 6-foot-2 Filipino American guard to play last Sunday in Ginebra’s surprisingly easy 97-78 manhandling of grand slam-seeking TNT in their first meeting in the all-Filipino tournament.
“Actually, I have no intention to play him at all. But so I went over to him at the end of the game, and said, ‘You know, if you want to run, just test yourself for a few minutes and see how you feel and get yourself ready for the next game,” Cone told media men on Sunday.
Ahanmisi has been out with a knee injury for over a month already.
But with the 33-year-old former Minnesota Gopher rejoining the team practice a few days back, and Ginebra leading comfortably against TNT, Cone thought it’s best to break him in slowly against the Tropang 5G.
“Our intention is not to play him, and he was available. But we didn’t think he had it,” said Cone, whose team managed to grab some measure now revenge against TNT, which has beaten Ginebra in back-to-back conference Finals already this season.
“He only started practicing fully a couple of days ago, two days ago, in fact. And he’s been out for quite a while,” he added.
The third overall pick in the 2015 PBA Rookie Draft will surely be a welcome addition for the Gin Kings, who for the most part of the elimination round has been dependent on do-it-all star playmaker Scottie Thompson, Stephen Holt and rookie RJ Abarrientos, with Nards Pinto pinch-hitting from off the bench.
With Ginebra finishing runner-up in three of the last five conferences, all against TNT, there’s no doubt that Ahanmisi’s presence can bring the needed backcourt depth for the league’s most popular squad.
Ahanmisi, the 2023 PBA Most Improved Player, is a solid ball handler, can shoot from long range and has the rich playoff experience that Ginebra can benefit from.
The Filipino American guard logged in a rebound and two assists, while missing his only attempt from the floor in his four-minute exposure against TNT.
But he’s expected to get a little more playing time come Sunday in the final day of the elims when Ginebra battles Ahanmisi’s former team Rain or Shine.
