By Waylon Galvez
Just how strong is Barangay Ginebra with former NBA player Awvee Storey? This will be known when the Gin Kings, the most popular team in the PBA, open their campaign against the Talk ’N Text Tropang Texters at the start of the import-flavored PBA Fiesta Cup this Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum.
Ginebra takes on Talk ’N Text in the 6:30 p.m. main game shortly after the 4 o’clock curtain raiser pitting Sta. Lucia Realty against Barako Bull Coffee.
The 31-year-old Storey played for three NBA teams – the New Jersey Nets, the Washington Wizards and the Milwaukee Bucks – and averaged 2.4 points and 1.4 rebounds.
He also played in the NBA Developmental League, as well as in Venezuela, South Korea and China, and Ginebra coach Jong Uichico has a lot of praise for the 6-foot-6 guard-forward, describing him as athletic, a leader and an excellent defender.
“Awvee is an all-around player, he can complement the locals,” Uichico said. “He’s also hard working. Though he’s not flashy, he’s an excellent defender, rebounder and team player.”
Uichico sees a bright future for his team this conference, which they won two seasons ago.
It’s not only because they have Awvee as their import, but also of the fact that their 1-2 punch – last season’s Most Valuable Player Jayjay Helterbrand and Mark Caguioa – are healthy.
Add to that is the much-hyped comeback of forward Rudy Hatfield, who is set to arrive from the United States on April 6.
Barangay Ginebra will face a team which it battled in a highly-emotional best-of-five quarterfinal showdown in the all-Filipino conference, which was marred by a controversial walkout and eventual forfeiture of Game 4 by Talk ’N Text.
The Kings won the series with a victory in Game 5 to advance to the Final Four, where they were surprisingly swept by the Alaska Aces in their seven-game series.
TNT and Ginebra made several moves during the break with separate trades.
The Tropang Texters dealt Yancy de Ocampo and Renen Ritualo to Air21 for JR Quiñahan, Mark Yee, and Aaron Aban, while Ginebra obtained the services of the 6-foot-8 de Ocampo from Air21 for Doug Kramer and Rich Alvarez.
Talk ’N Text originally tabbed Ernie Hicks as import but dropped him after he was found to have knee problems.
The Chot Reyes-mentored squad opted to take Shawn Daniels, the 6-foot-5 burly forward who has been a regular fixture with Air21/Burger King in the import-flavored conferences since 2005.
“We were in Puerto Rico looking at another prospect when we found he also played there. He was free, so we asked him to play for us,” Reyes said. “He’s exactly the kind of import we need, a team player who can complement the locals and has the defensive attitude.”
In his previous three stints in the PBA, Daniels averaged 17.5 points, 15.2 points, 5.3 assists and 2.05 steals and 2.2 shot blocks.
Barako Bull Coffee, on the other hand, tapped the services of Sam Monroe, who last played for the Potros Itson in Mexico. The 25-year-old Monroe averaged almost 25 points per game in Mexico with 5.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists.
Games Today (Araneta Coliseum)
4 p.m. – Barako Bull vs Sta. Lucia
6:30 p.m. – Ginebra vs Talk ‘N Text
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