WILL Converge hand import Jamaal Franklin the pink slip?
The team is likely to part ways with the 6-foot-5 Franklin after the FiberXers absorbed a 101-120 drubbing at the hands of defending champion Ginebra two days ago that all but shut the door on their top four drive in the PBA Governors’ Cup.
In a bizarre twist, the usually not gun-shy Franklin only tried to score five times and could only muster four points– a far cry from his 57-point explosion when he took 36 shots in Converge’s sorry 129-132 overtime loss to Meralco last Friday.
Franklin’s enigmatic outing perplexed FiberXers coach Aldin Ayo.
“It’s either he takes 36 or he takes five. Ano ba talaga? Medyo na-surprise ako. Pero may mga precedence na,” Ayo said. “Iyong games namin before against Blackwater, kita ninyo naman iyong body language doon and there were games also na ganoon.”
“Well, at the back of my mind, parang nandoon lang iyon, na baka gawin din nito. Pero the instruction was really maglaro lang sa sistema. Ganoon lang din naman. But I don’t know. I don’t know what happened,” he added.
A highly reliable Malaya-Business Insight insider said the Dennis Uy-owned ballclub is pondering on sending Franklin home.
“Two weeks ago pa dapat papalitan iyan,” the insider, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.
Ayo said there will be changes regarding their situation.
“For sure, there will be changes. Hindi ko pa masasabi kung ano iyon, kung anong definite na decision. But for sure, there will be changes,” Ayo said. “It’s not my decision to make. It will be the decision of the management.”
Although Converge ended its eliminations campaign with a three-game losing streak that dropped it to 6-5, Ayo is unfazed going into the quarterfinals.
“Wala akong masabi sa locals. Wala akong masabi sa mga locals,” he said. “Iyong trinabaho namin noong Christmas break and noong New Year’s break, nandoon pa rin. Siguro may mga konting adjustments na lang.”
