Barangay Ginebra San Miguel pushed back its training to give its players ample time to rest and recover following a grueling campaign in the Commissioner’s Cup of the Philippine Basketball Association last year.
Kings coach Tim Cone told Daily Tribune that they have yet to reconvene and start their buildup for the Governors’ Cup since most of their players have just gotten back from their respective provinces.
The Kings are the latest among teams to plunge into training.
Although they are just one of the three squads who have yet to see action in the season-ending conference, San Miguel Beer and Magnolia had already started their training a few weeks ago, or several days since the conclusion of their respective Commissioner’s Cup campaigns.
The Kings will open their Governors’ Cup bid against Rain or Shine on 5 February at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“We have to push back our preparations as some of the players just returned from the provinces,” Cone, the winningest mentor in league history, said.
“We were initially scheduled to go back to training early this week but we decided to push it back.”
The biggest beneficiary of Cone’s decision to delay their return to practice is LA Tenorio.
The seasoned playmaker hasn’t missed a game in 737 matches, but the streak was in danger after he suffered a strain near the groin and abdomen areas during their best-of-seven finals series against Bay Area in the midseason conference.
With the extra time, Tenorio will get a chance to rest and recover from his injury.
“We need it. It’s a relief, actually,” Tenorio said, adding that they remain focused on clinching their third straight Governors’ Cup title with import Justin Brownlee at the helm.
“We know that it’s going to be hard pounding and it might take a toll on us lately so we’re using the extra days of rest to recharge.”
