IT does not matter even if you are the team’s rising star.
Ginebra coach Tim Cone maintained his wards would hear it from him if they make mistakes—but they would surely learn and grow.
“RJ (Abarrientos) is still a young player. We’ve got to get him on track and that’s not anything different between him or I do to anybody else. I thought he took a bad shot at that time. He could have got to the basket a little better and he’ll learn from that,” Cone said. “He’ll get better from it. You know, he’s a vet in terms of knowing the game, but he’s still a rookie in terms of knowing our game and the way we play.
“He still learned the way we play and you know, I had enough trust in him that I put him down the stretch,” he added.
Cone was referring to an ill-advised three-point shot late in the game by his rookie playmaker in the Kings’ 71-70 win over the TNT Tropang Giga last Sunday night in Game 2 of their best-of-7 finals duel for the PBA Commissioner’s Cup crown.
Cone took the 5-foot-11 Abarrientos, nephew of his former Alaska star and pro league great Johnny, to task and said he treats every player on his squad equally.
“I expected him to make decisions. He failed on that one, and he’ll learn from it. No big deal. Do it all the time. Ask the players. I’m an equal-opportunity screamer. I scream at everybody, even Justin (Brownlee).”
Ginebra and TNT squared off in the pivotal third tiff at press time last night at the PhilSports Arena, with the winner getting the job done halfway through.
The good thing for Abarrientos, tabbed third overall by the Kings in last year’s Draft, is he has veteran and supportive teammates around like former MVP Scottie Thompson.
“Well, it happens. He’s open, that’s his shot. Siyempre, we want him na maging involved, gaya nga ng sabi ni coach, we need RJ,” Thompson said. “Alam naman natin kung gaano kagaling iyong bata and kung ano iyong maibibigay niya sa amin.
“Ako especially as a kuya, kailangan mo lang motivation palagi and just mayroon kang next game mentality. Breaks of the game lang din iyon.”
The throng of rabid Kings fans watched closely last night whether Abarrientos can atone for a one-point output in Game 2 and take to heart lessons from one of the game’s best teachers—Cone.
