TOP GUNS BACK IN PUREFOODS-GINEBRA PRE-SEASON OPENER

Korean KT & G guest squad plays 5 PBA ballclubs
PBA.ph
Thursday, 06 September 2007

Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio has so much faith in his team that he didn't entertain thoughts of tinkering with his lineup for the 2007-08 PBA Season.

"If it ain't broke why fix it," said Gregorio, confident his team still has what it takes to contend for a championship.

Keeping the buzz humming for Purefoods is the frontcourt act of main man Kerby Raymundo and veteran center Romel Adducul. The two never got to play together since the Giants acquired the 6-foot-6 former San Sebastian College stalwart from Red Bull as Raymundo spent the entire of last conference playing for the national team.

The two will be joining forces with hotshot James Yap and stalwarts Marc Pingris, June Simon, Roger Yap and Rey Evangelista as the Giants try to once again rekindle the magic that made them champions of the Philippine Cup two years ago.

But whether Gregorio will ultimately be proven right will be the focus of interest when the PBA Pre-Season Tournament gets going on Saturday with the Giants and Barangay Ginebra opening hostilities.

The Giants and Kings, the reigning Philippine Cup champions, tangle in the lone opening game set at 4 p.m at the San Sebastian College gym in Cavite City.

"I think there's no better way to kick off the 2007-08 Pre-Season games than to pit Ginebra against Purefoods, easily two of the most popular teams in the PBA," said Officer-In-Charge Sonny Barrios.

The Kings also didn't play around with the core of their lineup during the off-season, resolved at bringing back the same cast that made them a consistent playoff team last season.

That means the Kings will be parading back old reliables Johnny Abarrientos, Sunday Salvacion, Ronald Tubid, Mark Macapagal, Mike Holper and Eric Menk while welcoming back to their fold the deadly duo of Mark Caguioa and Jayjay Helterbrand, who both missed the entire Fiesta Conference after being loaned to the RP men's basketball squad.

Ginebra coach Jong Uichico also has high hopes for his troops largely because versatile big man Rafi Reavis is returning for another tour of duty after coming off a successful surgery on his injured shoulder in the U.S.

Powerhouse Talk N Text, with national players Asi Taulava, Jimmy Alapag and RenRen Ritualo back in fold, takes on the young Air21 Express on Monday (Sept. 9) in another one-game offering at the Fresnedi gym in Muntinlupa.

The two-week tournament featuring all 10 PBA teams has been divided into two groups that will play a single round robin. The top squad from each bracket advance to the winner-take-all Final.

Alaska, the defending Fiesta Conference champion which topped last year's Pre-Season Tournament, leads Group A, which will have San Miguel, Red Bull, Coca-Cola and Sta. Lucia, while making up Group B are Welcoat, Purefoods, Ginebra, Talk N Text and Air21.

A guest team from Korea – the KT&G squad – will also see action in the meet that gives PBA teams one final chance to assess their respective lineups. Welcoat earns the first crack against the Sokors when they collide on Sept. 10, followed by Alaska (Sept. 11), San Miguel (Sept. 12), Red Bull (Sept. 13) and Coca-Cola (Sept. 14), all at The Arena in San Juan. (DBC)