Tim Cone after upset loss to Terrafirma: ‘Our chemistry is in shambles at this point’

Following a hands-off approach during the latter stages of the game, Brgy. Ginebra’s head coach Tim Cone is strategizing on the right motivational message to reinstate order within the team in the ongoing PBA Season 48 Philippine Cup.

The coaching dynamo of the Gin Kings disclosed his strategy of surrendering the reins to assistant coaches Richard del Rosario, Olsen Racela, and Kirk Collier during the crucial third quarter showdown against Terrafirma last Sunday, which unfortunately culminated in a stinging 91-85 defeat.

“I just felt like, from a team standpoint, I felt like they weren’t responding well to my voice,” said Cone. “They’re getting tired of hearing me, so I decided to give them a different voice. At certain points of the game, they responded very well.”

“But still, we need more work. We’re not happy. I’m sure the fans aren’t happy and they shouldn’t be happy. We know that. These guys care and we’re going to do something about it,” he added.

In the wake of consecutive losses within a span of three days that saw the crowd darlings fall to a middling 3-3 record amongst a competitive 12-team cohort, Cone has been engrossed in reflective thought.

“We’re scrapping the bottom of the barrel right now. We’re not playing good basketball. We know that. Our chemistry is in shambles at this point. We need to fix it. There’s a lot of things to fix,” said the PBA’s winningest mentor.

Despite the recent downturn, Cone harbors a conviction that experiencing a slump is part and parcel for teams with a winning pedigree. After all, the Gin Kings are hot off the heels of a semifinal stint in the Commissioner’s Cup and clinched two final appearances last season.

“I think all teams literally go through this at some point over a course of a year or a couple of years. We just need to rethink what we’re doing and how we’re doing it and go what that.”

“Good news is we have time. The playoffs don’t start tomorrow. We got to get back to work and recover our chemistry.”