Cone hopes to have Caguioa, Devance, Slaughter back for Philippine Cup title defense

Tim Cone is hoping that veterans Joe Devance and Mark Caguioa, as well as big man Greg Slaughter, will be onboard for Brgy. Ginebra’s quest to defend the Philippine Cup crown next season.

Cone believes that the presence of the three players is a must if the crowd darlings want to repeat as the Kings of the All-Filipino conference.

Devance and Caguioa were part of the squad that bagged the 2020 Philippine Cup title last Wednesday while Slaughter is coming off a sabbatical. The 7-foot Fil-Am left the country shortly after the Gin Kings reclaimed the 2019 Governors’ Cup last January but has since returned and has expressed his willingness to rejoin the team.

“We are hoping to get Greg back. I think that he will be huge for us,” said Cone shortly after the title-clinching Game 5.

“That will help Japeth out in terms of giving him a break. We can be a little bit more creative in the way we play. We get Greg back and move forward to the all-Filipino,” he added.

Despite the limited minutes, Cone feels that Caguioa’s presence is still an important aspect for the team.

“I’m hoping Mark Caguioa decides to play one more year only because he is such a presence in the team. He is a presence in the locker room, he is a presence at practice, incredibly positive influence to the younger players,” explained Cone.

“I’m hoping that he will come back and play one more year. And of course, Joe,” he added.

With regards to the rest of the team, Cone doesn’t foresee any major changes and prefers to return battle with an intact roster.

“We will see how these guys feel after a couple of months. I’d like the team to come back intact and find a way to get Greg back in the lineup and go from there. I think we can still compete for championships if we stay intact and get Greg back,” said the league’s winningest mentor.

“I don’t see any dramatic changes in the team.”