Yehey .. 2nd on the league!!

  Caguiao enjoys playing the point

  01 December 2010

BARANGAY Ginebra’s Mark Caguioa is expected to see more playing time as a point guard for the Gin Kings.

Caguioa, who’s a natural scorer and shooting guard, was surprisingly given a lot of playmaking chores in Ginebra’s close 89-86 win over B-MEG Derby Ace Sunday and the 6’1” spitfire did not disappoint.

‘’We actually started to do that already modestly in our past games, just to try him (Caguioa) at the point guard position to give us more options. He responded well in playing the position and the effect was obvious,’’ said Ginebra coach Jong Uichico.

Caguioa finished with 18 points, eight rebounds and two assists, while playing the point for majority of his 36 minutes, but it was his impressive playmaking ability that got him spending more time at point instead of his usual off-guard position.

‘’He’s a great passer, loves to feed his teammates and a great playmaker, so it’s easy for him to slide down and play the no. 1 for us.’’

Uichico admitted that because of the Kings’ evident success with Caguioa at point, the adjustment will most likely continue in their next games.

‘’It’s a transition for him to play the point guard and he’s playing it very well. Hopefully, we can continue that.’’

In Caguioa’s nine-year career thus far, he was always the go-to guy at shooting guard, because of his lethal scoring, but with the way things are going for the Kings with him at the point, expect him to continue sliding down.

Barangay Ginebra is currently at solo second at 8-3 with three games remaining in the eliminations and its chances of making the Top 2 for a twice-to-beat edge in the quarterfinals looks bright.

The Kings have now won seven of their last eight games.

Meanwhile, small forward JC Intal is back practicing with the Kings and is expected to be back on the floor on Dec. 10 when Ginebra faces an acid test against third place Talk ‘N Text (7-3).

Intal has been out for more than a month after suffering from a left-ankle injury, but was already given a go-signal to return and play anew.

Source: Jeric Lopez, Manila Standard Today

 






Menk delivers for Ginebra

 29 November   2010

After playing limited minutes and missing several games due to injury, Barangay Ginebra finally got something from its main man at the post, Eric Menk.

The 6-foot-7 Menk posted a personal conference-best of 20 points to power the Kings to an 89-86 win against the defending champion B-Meg Derby Ace Llamados in the PBA Philippine Cup Sunday night at the Araneta Coliseum.

The one-time league Most Valuable Player (MVP) was only 4-of-13 from the field, but he shot 12-of-14 from the foul line, including crucial ones down the stretch for Ginebra. He also added seven rebounds.

Entering the game, Menk averaged 4.2 points and 4.4 rebounds in five games. He played in Ginebra’s first three games, but missed the next five due to a leg injury. He returned against Barako Bull and in a loss to San Miguel Beer.

“In the endgame, you have to go to your veterans,” Ginebra mentor Jong Uichico said. “And Eric is a revelation for us. If not for him we won’t have any post threat. He made some crucial foul shots in the final stretch of the game.”

The victory gave Ginebra solo second place with an 8-3 win-loss card, behind San Miguel Beer’s 10-2 card. It also put the Kings back on the winning track after the loss to the Beermen, which snapped a six-game winning streak.

As for the Llamados, the George Gallent-mentored squad dropped to fourth place with a 6-6 record, their five-game winning run halted by the Kings.

The top two teams after the elimination will earn twice-to-beat incentives in the best-of-three quarterfinal series against the 7-8 teams. The 3-6 finishers will play in a crossover three-game series, while the 9-10 teams will be eliminated automatically.

“It’s a tough game, really a tough game. It’s good that we’re able to make some stops in the endgame, and then we made some shots at the right time. This is a crucial win because we’re in the final stretch of the elimination,” Uichico said.

Source: WAYLON GALVEZ, Manila Bulletin