The puzzle of the Gin Kings

Fans of the PBA’s darling, the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings, have been growing fitful and angry over the past few weeks, calling for the head of head coach Allan Caidic in the wake of successive losses to their favorite team. Ginebra, which acquired three spectacular rookies in MBA MVP Romel Adducul, NCAA MVP Sunday Salvacion and Fil-Am point guard Rob Johnson, looked like the team to beat on paper, more so with the improved play of Eric Menk and the return of Alex Crisano.

However, after an initial spurt, the Gin Kings found themselves losing more than two-thirds of their games, and polls and text surveys (including those in The Star) have been flooded with messages from irate fans blaming it squarely on Caidic. A team so strong on paper should not be struggling for mere survival, they claim.

This writer asked the former San Miguel scorer for an interview, but he politely declined, saying he would rather concentrate on the task at hand, winning their remaining games to get into the quarterfinals of the All-Filipino Cup.

On speaking with the Gin Kings though, you get the feeling that there is an open wound that some are trying to heal, some are trying to cover up, and some are indifferent to. The substance abuse charge levelled against center Alex Crisano has just turned the spotlight onto another facet of the interpersonality conflict within the team.

"We haven’t jelled yet; and like coach said, the rookies stick together, the veterans stick together, the Fil-Ams stick together," rookie forward Salvacion said pointedly. "So that’s what we’ve been talking about, that we need to help each other to get our goal."

But other members of Barangay Ginebra deny that there’s any factionalism, and point to the abundance of rookies and newcomers as the area that causes them to stumble in endgame situations.

"We have a lot of new players and a new coach in (assistant) Binky Favis, we’re trying to work a little different defense, hoping to jell a little bit," says Elmer Lago. "Right now, it’s taking a little longer than we thought. Off the court, we joke around a lot, it’s just that we have to talk and communicate more on the court."

"Everyone gets along with everybody else," counters rookie guard Rob Johnson. "I think it’s just natural that you hang around with people who are like you, but I don’t think it’s a problem, though."

"I don’t feel there’s any conflict among us," adds veteran center Jun Limpot, explaining that the players on the team are just different people, period. "Maybe we’ve been losing, that’s why people are making up stories like that. Eric Menk, you can’t talk to because he’s so quiet. Meanwhile, Mark Caguioa is everybody’s friend, so I think that it’s just because we’ve been losing, that’s why that issue came out."

Rookie center Adducul refused to comment on the factions within the team, and instead took responsibility for his personal shortcomings.

"I don’t know if it’s because I have any fears or I’m losing confidence," he admits, "but the team is doing their best to lift me up. It seems that, every game I’m agitated. Maybe I need to enjoy the game more."

The players don’t blame their coach directly, but admit that they are going through an adjustment period, and are trying to look at things from a practical standpoint: they have to work together to win.

"We can see he’s been working very hard to work out our weaknesses," Limpot continues. "It’s a matter of give and take, we just have to help each other. We’ll help him with our weaknesses, he’ll help us with our weaknesses."

"I’m still optimistic about what this team can do," Lago declares confidently. "Come the quarterfinals, we’ll be a different team."

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The full interviews with the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings and banished Batang Red Bull point guard Jimwell Torion will be the centerpiece of this week’s episode of The Basketball Show on IBC-13 today at 4 p.m. The Basketball Show is supported by Adidas, Columbia International Foods, Red Horse Extra Strong Beer, and Accel sports gear.