Tim Cone unfazed by Ginebra’s rocky start, eyes mid-season surge after brutal opening schedule

Barangay Ginebra’s start to the PBA’s 50th Season Philippine Cup has been anything but easy — and Tim Cone wouldn’t have it any other way.

The Gin Kings opened their campaign by running a five-game gauntlet against perennial contenders — Magnolia, TNT, Meralco, San Miguel, and NLEX — a stretch that would test any team’s depth and chemistry. The result: a 2-3 record, with wins over TNT (92-77) and NLEX (104-74).

“We saw that schedule,” Cone said with a laugh. “It never happened before that I can remember, opening the season against those five big teams.”

While the slow start might worry some, Cone has long preached patience and perspective. After all, the defending Commissioner’s Cup champions were among the last teams to resume full practices following their title run.

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Barangay Ginebra dominates; beats NLEX, 104-74!

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“We were prepared mentally that we knew we might struggle early and that our record may not be where we want it to be,” Cone admitted. “But if (Sunday) is any indication… we put a good one together. We can continue to do that. Maybe we can go on a little bit of a run and get back into the conference.”

The 30-point rout of NLEX, their most complete performance yet, hinted at a team finding its rhythm again. Cone noted that while he’d prefer a better start — “I would prefer 3-2 and 4-1 obviously” — he sees their 2-3 standing as a manageable position in the long grind ahead.

“I’m not happy with the 2-3 record, but it’s survivable for us,” he said. “Having to go through that gauntlet early, especially since we were like the last team back to practice… it’s something we can build from.”

But even with the toughest part of their schedule behind them, the road doesn’t get much smoother. The Gin Kings next face Titan Ultra before taking on surging squads Converge and Rain or Shine — two teams that have already proven capable of toppling heavyweights.

“Obviously, they’re [Converge] playing extremely well. And I think we’ve seen on any given night, any team can beat anybody,” Cone said. “Phoenix turned around and beat San Miguel also. So all the teams, I think anybody can beat anybody on any given night. It’s just a matter of preparedness and readiness. And that’s going to be key for us as we go forward.”

For now, Ginebra’s focus is on regaining momentum — and with Tim Cone at the helm, the Gin Kings have a history of peaking when it matters most.

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