WHY THEY’RE HERE
The arrival of Stephen Holt and rookie RJ Abarrientos to inject fresh blood on Barangay Ginebra’s roster has certainly made life easier for Scottie Thompson in the course of the team’s run to the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals.
“Nagagawa ko yung mga gusto kong gawin sa posisyon ko (I can now do the things that I want playing my natural position),” Thompson said ahead of the Gin Kings’ title series with the TNT Tropang Giga that starts on Sunday at Ynares Center in Antipolo City.
Holt and Abarrientos were among the main pieces in an offseason trade with Terrafirma, which saw Ginebra give up veterans Christian Standhardinger and Stanley Pringle plus the Kings’ 10th overall pick in the Rookie Draft.
Ginebra got Isaac Go, currently down with a knee injury since last month and is expected to miss the Finals, plus Holt and the third pick in the Rookie Draft, which Ginebra used to take the nephew of Alaska legend and Ginebra coach Tim Cone’s understudy, Johnny Abarrientos.
Both Holt and Abarrientos have been key figures in their first conference with the crowd favorites, particularly in the playoffs, which saw Ginebra make its way back to the Finals after two semifinal exits the previous season.
Two-way player
Holt has been a key presence on both ends, particularly on defense, while also providing some scoring when necessary. Now, the 32-year-old, who before joining the PBA last season had experiences in Europe and Australia, is hoping to get a championship that has been rare in his globe-trotting pro career.
“I’m so hungry to win a championship,” said Holt, referring to winning a title with CEZ Nymburk of the Czech National Basketball League. “My last championship was in 2017 so it’s been a long time, so I kind of use that as motivation.”
Abarrientos’ experience internationally playing in Japan’s B.League and South Korea’s Korean Basketball League has translated back home as his role as a point guard, oftentimes as a backup, has led to steady offense and timely outside shooting during the playoffs.
He got his career-high 28 points in Ginebra’s Game 5 semis win over San Miguel Beer, a performance that also played heavily in his selection as the final Player of the Week of the PBA Press Corps for the first conference.
“For me, I’m just doing my rookie duties of providing energy for this team,” said Abarrientos. “I know that we have a lot of gunners and great players on this team and I need to find that balance to help the team.”
Their importance also translates into a better showing from Thompson, who last season played through a nagging back that contributed to Ginebra’s rare Finals absence and him skipping Gilas Pilipinas’ campaign in the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Latvia.
Was there before
For Thompson, Abarrientos’ role is quite similar to the one he did eight years ago as a rookie when Ginebra ended a near-decade wait for a PBA championship with its conquest of the 2016 Governors’ Cup.
“Having RJ and new guys like Stephen have made us a different team because they’re a big help,” said Thompson. “Having RJ being the playmaker reminds me of the time I had to play that role and let LA [Tenorio] focus on other aspects of his game.”
Thompson, Abarrientos and Holt can only hope that the setup would bode well for the Gin Kings and resume their annual habit of collecting championship trophies.
