BARANGAY Ginebra coach Tim Cone admitted being perplexed by rookie Brian Enriquez that when the chance to get him in the recent PBA rookie draft came, he didn't think twice to make a move.
Cone, 63, said while the Kings had their eyes on big man Ken Holmqvist as their first round pick at no. 12, the team is likewise interested in getting the services of Enriquez after seeing him worked out with the Kings prior to the draft.
The veteran coach knew other teams are also looking at the 6-foot-3 Fil-A that the Kings needed to move up in the second round in order to have a shot at Enriquez.
And when Barangay Ginebra got the feeler NorthPort, which owns the first pick in the second round at no. 13, was interested in having sophomore Jerrick Balanza on board, Cone didn't lose time to negotiate a trade deal.
"We traded for that 13th pick with Brian as our target," Cone recalled. "We felt we can get Brian at 13th."
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Cone and his coaching staff have no full idea on what Enriquez was capable of doing until seeing him worked out with the team just before the draft.
"We didn't know Brian from Adam. We didn't know much about him at the time," said the Barangay Ginebra mentor. "So we were told that we should try to look at him."
The first time the Long Beach, California native worked out with the Kings, Cone was already impressed that Enriquez was invited for another training session.
"There was something in the way he moves, and I liked his size more than anything," said the champion coach.
"And the fact that he could play point guard at his size, that could be unique in our league. He has big, strong body. That he can play at a pure point guard position, he could really be dynamic."
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With Cone high on his rookie guard, it's up to Enriquez to prove his thing. (RG)
