BARANGAY Ginebra turns to a long-time colleague in a bid to fill in a huge hole in its frontcourt roster.
Through coach Tim Cone, the Kings managed to persuade the visiting Joe Devance to come out of retirement and don the popular Ginebra jersey again.
So just a week after coming over to Manila, the 42-year-old Devance was back playing for his former team in the PBA Governors' Cup.
He played six minutes and scored two points as the Kings claimed Game 1 of their best-of-five quarterfinals series against the Meralco Bolts, 99-92.
Cone of course, was ecstatic having his former big man back to help relieve fellow veteran Japeth Aguilar at the middle, and at the same time, take the spot vacated by the injured Isaac Go.
Sponsored content:
"He's a freak of nature of what he does at his age. Hopefully, we're also smart enough to know that we have to be careful with him. Joe's ability to come in and play those six minutes, six minutes that Japeth doesn't have to play," said the Ginebra coach.
Of course, Devance knows too well the 66-year-old Cone.
He won a total of 12 championships all under Cone while playing for him at Alaska, San Mig Coffee (now Magnolia), and Barangay Ginebra.
That made him a logical choice for the Kings to come in and play on short notice for the franchise.
"The thing about him is he's very seamless the way he comes in because he knows everything that we do. He probably knows better what we do than I do," said Cone with a smile on his face.
Sponsored content:
"He's got that basketball IQ that is really off the charts."
And despite not actively playing the past two years and having just the benefit of a one day practice with Ginebra before being activated, Devance got a passing mark from Cone.
"He played defense, he got up and down the floor. And that's not bad enough for someone who has not played two years of basketball and having one practice under his belt," the Ginebra coach said of the Fil-Am big man.(RG)
