Troy Rosario signed a three-year deal with Barangay Ginebra.
This signing is important because even if Tim Cone loves to use his starters for most of the game, his entry will give the Kings a towering presence on the inside.
Let’s just face facts – I thought Isaac Go was too raw for the Ginebra treatment. The former Ateneo star just got back from injury and if he saw Terrafirma as a farm team, then Go could have benefited at least a couple more conferences before he got plucked. In hindsight, Kemark Carino would have been a better acquisition. While it would have sucked for the former San Beda star to ride the Ginebra bench, his stock as well as his health are reasons why he’s a better fit in that position.
Also, the acquisition of Rosario, will not only send Go to third-string hell in Ginebra, it may be the beginning of the end of his career.
As for Rosario, this is going to be an awesome ride.
Again, aside from depth, one of the reasons why Ginebra lost to TNT in the Commissioner’s Cup Finals is because they lack size. Justin Brownlee only works with two towers supporting him. As much as Japeth Aguilar’s offense had stepped up in the conference, we also need to note that he’s also compensating for the loss of Christian Standhardinger. Since the turn of the century, the Gins have always been guard-centric in their offense. Before the arrival of Tim Cone, Eric Menk was the only big man anomaly for Ginebra. There was a time when centers forgot their scoring when they moved to the Gins. It happened with Rommel Adducul, Enrico Villanueva, Rudy Hatfield, Rafi Reavis, and even the short-lived stint of Kerby Raymundo.
When Tim Cone entered the team, Greg Slaughter was just in his third season while Japeth Aguilar was at the lowest point of his PBA career. Cone also brought Joe Devance from San Mig Super Coffee. When Slaughter left the team and Devance was on the verge of retirement, Christian Standhardinger was a perfect fit. Even Prince Caperal had short-lived success with the Gins because of Cone’s system.
However, Aguilar is by his lonesome in the middle, and this forced Justin Brownlee, Stephen Holt, and Maverick Ahanmisi to pick up the slack. This also prompted Joe Devance to come out of retirement to act as their key utility in the middle.
With Rosario around, he and Japeth can just hunt down the boards and if one of them tries to attempt a triple, then there is someone to bully the middle.
And here’s the fun part. I bet one of Rosario’s perks could be a potential spot in Gilas Pilipinas. Again, I see most of their players as potential national team recruits. RJ Abarrientos is one, and Jamie Malonzo is another. I don’t know how Jeremiah Gray and Ahanmisi fit in the scheme of things, but I know one of them will be the tool or a tool to acquire the 2025 Terrafirma first-round pick.
I guess the only good thing about Terrafirma is how they’ll really do in the rest of the season. Yes, they have a trashy management, but they are also a team with washed-up superstars. While it’s easy to predict that C-Stan, Terrence Romeo, Stanley Pringle, and Vic Manuel will be out of the team before the season ends, it’s also a way for them to seek revenge if they want to. Alongside the Terrafirma import, their starting unit has Mythical Team vibes. Again, this is not the team Johnedel Cardel coached in the 2023-24 Philippine Cup. This might be a team with expiring contracts, but they still have pride in their abilities.
One thing I haven’t mentioned is the MVP side. I really thought Rosario would be a lifer in TNT, and one of the shocking moves the MVP group made aside from Rosario is the exile of Baser Amer. When TNT took Rey Nambatac for a bunch of benchies, I thought Blackwater would lose Rosario to TNT. Instead, getting the Gilas axe and the TNT trade while dealing with personal issues could have made the SMC switch easier. In some ways, this can also be a thing with Tim Cone and Chot Reyes. While both coaches are certified Hall of Famers, Rosario lost his spot in both Gilas and TNT, and they just want him back so they can’t lose a player to the SMC. If they still want to keep Rosario, then why can’t they just send him to Meralco or NLEX? The Road Warriors are still in need of stars, while Meralco could have kept Rosario in lieu of Raymond Almazan, they also can keep both players.
Rosario is the consolation prize of Ginebra for losing the 2024 PBA Governors’ Cup.
And would it be awesome if Ginebra gets the 2024 PBA Commissioner’s Cup because of Rosario’s help?