Barangay Ginebra San Miguel’s offense was stalled in their 88-73 loss to the Magnolia Hotshots on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
It was the team’s third loss in this PBA Governors’ Cup, and one reason for their early struggles, according to RJ Abarrientos, is the absence of Scottie Thompson. The three-time PBA Finals MVP has missed Ginebra’s first few games of the conference, and there is still no concrete timetable for his return as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury.
“Mahirap i-fill in ‘yung sapatos ni Scottie ngayon, so ‘yun ‘yung pinaka [problema] namin,” said Abarrientos. “Pero sabi ko nga sa mga last games namin, kailangan namin magtulungan without Scottie kasi wala kaming magagawa kung ’di lalaro si Kuya Scot.”
Abarrientos couldn’t do his part in the latest Manila Clasico, finishing with just 6 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 steals while also committing 2 turnovers in the loss.
Accepting Scottie Thompson’s Absence
Instead of dwelling on Thompson’s absene, the reigning Rookie of the Year said the team must accept its current situation and focus on improving with the players available.
“Kung ano ‘yung binibigay sa amin, kailangan namin tanggapin, and nakita naman natin ‘yung struggles namin ngayon against Magnolia. So we just [need to] keep on improving as a team and tignan namin ‘yung mai-improve namin,” Abarrientos added.
One area Ginebra must improve on is playmaking, with Abarrientos himself lacking in that department this conference. Execution must also be improved, as no one other than Abarrientos and import Riley Grigsby can make plays offensively on their own. It will, therefore, take precise execution to get Ginebra players open and in position to score.
If it is any consolation, Ginebra will have a full week to regroup before returning to action in its sixth game of the Governors’ Cup against the Blackwater Bossing on August 9 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
