Kings open defense versus new-look Pals

Barangay Ginebra, eyeing to become the first team in more than two decades to win the PBA all-Filipino crown back-to-back, opens defense of the PBA Philippine Cup tonight against a squad loaded with talent but lacking in spirit.

The Gin Kings battle the overhauled Talk n Text Phone Pals at 7:35 p.m., hoping to come out strong and set in motion their bid to score a rare back-to-back title romp in the league’s centerpiece event.

Purefoods, which lost to Red Bull in the recent PBA Fiesta Cup finals, clashes with Sta. Lucia at 4:40 p.m.

No team has ever repeated as champion in the All-Filipino since Ricky Brown and company did the feat for Great Taste in 1984-85, not even great teams like 16-time titlist and grand slam champions San Miguel Beer (1989) and Alaska (1996).

Ginebra coach Siot Tanquingcen, however, doesn’t want to rush things up.

"Matagal pa ang labanan, huwag na muna natin isipin ‘yan (It’s a long way to go, let’s not talk about it at this early stage)," he said. "But of course, it will be a great honor for us if we ever accomplish it."

One thing going for the crowd favorites is the core of its champion squad remains intact. Rommel Adducul stays with the team despite talks of player swap with Coca-Cola’s Rafi Reavis, along with Eric Menk, Jay Helterbrand, Mark Caguioa, Rodney Santos and Aris Dimaunahan.

Aside from the fact that it defeated Talk n Text to capture the 2004-2005 All-Filipino crown, Brgy Ginebra also swept the Phone Pals in their head-to-head duel in the Fiesta Conference.

Unlike Ginebra, Talk n Text has lots of new things to offer.

The Phone Pals have a new coach in Derick Pumaren, have five new players in their fold – the most by any team this conference – traded one of their key men and hired a former MVP, whom Pumaren believes would be helpful in the long run because of his experience.

Pumaren took the job of Joel Banal, the man responsible for guiding Talk n Text to its first crown. But Banal was the architect of the Phone Pals 2002 All-Filipino conquest but failed to steer the team to the Finals in the recent Fiesta Conference.

Fancied to make it all the way to the championships, the Phone Pals suffered one of their most dismal performances in franchise history after being ousted by the Express in the semifinals.

An overhaul followed. They shipped Mark Telan to the Express for banger John Ferriols, took in a back-up for Asi Taulava in Poch Juinio then shocked all others by giving 1995 MVP Vergel Meneses another shot at a championship before hanging up sneakers in the league.

Talk n Text also got Bong Viloria and Chris Cantonjos.

"We need him," said Pumaren of the 37-year-old Meneses. "His experience will be of great importance to us."

Indeed, the Phone Pals will need every experience they can get against the history-seeking Gin Kings.

Pumaren, however, sees it as an opportunity to motivate his players.

"That will be our battle cry, ‘beat Ginebra,’" he said.

In the opener, Purefoods begins life without sensational import Marquin Chandler and rookie Jondan Salvador when it meets Sta. Lucia Realty.

The Fiesta Conference runners-up will be without Salvador (ACL injury, right knee) for the rest of the conference, and will no longer have a prolific import to carry the scoring load.

And this only makes coach Ryan Gregorio believe that the Giants are in the middle of the nine-team field in terms of ranking.

"Siguro mga pang-lima or pang-anim kami kung ira-rank ko ang team namin," he said.

Kerby Raymundo and James Yap are the players expected to lift the Giants, and so with Jun Limpot, who now has the chance to get more playing time he never got in the last conference.

In the last three conferences, the Giants have all won their debuts. Sta. Lucia, on the other hand, has lost its last four opening-game assignments.