LIKELY a case of feeling him out.
That’s how Ginebra coach Tim Cone described the baptism of fire of newly-acquired TNT playmaker Jordan Heading in the PBA Philippine Cup last Sunday night.
“They’re trying to figure out what would fit him and how he plays. He’s trying to figure out his teammates. It comes out either one way or the other,” Cone said. “It comes out that he gives them a big lift. He comes out and plays great and gives them a good lift. Or he comes out and struggles a little bit. It’s usually either one or the other.
“We’ve been on the good side of it with Navarro against Magnolia and Heading against TNT. But I don’t want to play him four games from now. Three or four games from now, they’re going to figure out where exactly Heading is going to fit,” he added.
Cone’s Kings emerged with a surprisingly runaway 97-78 victory over the grand slam-seeking Tropang 5G.
The 6-foot-2 Heading, who landed at TNT from Converge after a blockbuster trade for former two-time finals MVP Mikey Williams, tallied 10 points, three rebounds, and three assists in his first outing as a Tropang 5G.
Cone maintained the former Gilas Pilipinas national team training pool mainstay and the return of big man Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser could only make TNT better in its bid to complete a rare Triple Crown.
“We know he’s a huge talent. He fits the style and the tempo at which they play. So, give them a little more time, he’s going to be huge for what they do. This team has suddenly gotten really deep with Granuelas-Rosser and Heading coming off the bench along with the other guys that they have,” Cone said.
“They fortified their team at the right time right before the playoffs start. We were able to take advantage of that.
But I’m afraid a lot of teams are not going to be able to continue to take advantage of that down the line.”
Ditto with his wards’ victory, Cone said the Tropang 5G are primed for a big bounce-back.
“They’re just going to wipe this one away and move right on forward. This isn’t going to bother them much at all on their goal going forward,” he said. “I really believe that. I know Chot Reyes, so he’s just going to wipe this one away and move forward.
“It’s one of those nights and we were able to be on the good side of it this time. We’ve had our share of the other side, so we’re glad to get it on their side.”
