With the addition of Greg Slaughter and Japeth Aguilar to the Ginebra fold, fans had high hopes that the PBA's most popular team would finally end their title drought. At first, it looked like it would finally come true as Ginebra rolled into the top of the standings during the eliminations of the Philippine Cup but there run was cut short by eventual champions San Mig Coffee Mixers in the semifinals.
They were not so lucky during the Commissioner's Cup when import woes hounded the team. Original import choice Leon Rodgers proved just a hype and was sent his pink slip before the playoffs. Then NBA veteran Josh Powell played only one game as he got a call from the Houston Rockets. Finally, former Best Import Gabe Freeman reinforced the team come playoffs but he was checked by Talk n Text and could not lead Ginebra past the Texters.
In the Governor's Cup, they hired former player Jeff Cariaso as head coach and added Olsen Racela as well. Known as Tim Cone's long-time assistant, fans expected a switch to the triangle which Cariaso is very familiar with, They also took in college standout Zaccheus Mason as their import. Adjusting to a new coach and system, the Kings entered the playoffs with a 5-4 record and as the 6th seed to face the Aces in the quarterfinals. Facing a twice-to-beat disadvantage, Ginebra roared to a 9-0 lead in the 1st quarter but Alaska slowly crept their way back and took away that advantage. Compounding the King's woes was the injury to Mason in the 2nd quarter. Eventually, the Kings lost and bowed out of contention but not without giving the Aces a huge scare.
And so that ninth crown remains elusive for Ginebra. Despite having the tallest frontline in the league and a deep bench from top to bottom, the Kings once again finished the season empty handed. Like the previous season, Ginebra fans are once again left hoping that Ginebra will become champions again. With a proven effective system in place and a winner of a coach in Jeffrey Cariaso plus a few tweaks here and there, the disappointments will finally come to an end and Ginebra will be back on top again.
See you next season Barangay Ginebra San Miguel. We are hoping for the best and that you will once again be a champion.
