Kings shipping out Hill, eye replacement imports

Kings shipping out Hill, eye replacement imports

GINEBRA has had enough of Helbert Hill and is set to bring in a new import in time for the Kings’ next game this Friday in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.


Reliable sources told Malaya-Business Insight that negotiations are ongoing for Brian Butch, Vernon Macklin or Tim Ohlbrecht to come in and replace Hill, a big flop in Ginebra’s 70-74 loss to Air21 last Sunday.

“Kapag pumayag ang isa doon sa talo, within the next three days nandito na ‘yun,” said the insider.

Ginebra officials, including coach Alfrancis Chua, could not be reached for comment yesterday but based on the Kings’ initial game there’s really little choice but to let Hill go.

In his PBA debut, Hill missed his first 10 shots and got repeatedly outplayed by Express counterpart Michael Dunigan, who finished with 26 points, 19 rebounds and five blocked shots.

Hill wound up with 17 points, 18 rebounds and four blocked shots but committed six turnovers and showed little of the fire Ginebra was hoping for since most of the Kings’ locals were suffering from an assortment of illnesses and injuries.

There were talks Hill was supposed to be replaced by Jerome Jordan even before the conference started. But the 7-foot Jamaican, who has seen action for the Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks, was reportedly offered a short-term contract by the LA Lakers.

Among the new prospects, Macklin totes the most impressive credentials, having been selected as the 52nd pick overall by Detroit in the 2011 NBA draft and suited up for the Pistons until 2012. He currently plays for Rio Grande Valley in the NBDL, where he averages 14.1 points and 5.8 rebounds per game as a power forward.

The Vipers’ starting center is Tim Ohlbrecht, a teammate of Dirk Nowitzki in the German national team and currently among the NBDL’s top slotmen with 13.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.

Standing at 6-foot-11, Butch is currently with the Bakersfield Jam in the NBDL, where he is averaging 12.4 points and 10.6 rebounds per game.

Local support is not lacking among the Kings.

Despite being under the weather, Mark Caguioa still scored 26 points, capped by a turnaround triple that pushed Ginebra within 70-73, still 26.8 seconds left.

But Air21 held its ground and, after a John Wilson charity split, foiled attempts by Caguioa and Hill to bring the Kings closer in the dying seconds.

“It’s always a nice feeling beating Ginebra, with all the stars in their line-up,” said Express coach Franz Pumaren. “In the overall picture of the teams right now, man-for-man we’re the weakest in terms of locals. But we really won this on the defensive aspect of the game.”

Indeed, the game could have taken on a different complexion had Ginebra not got buried by a 21-31 halftime score, equaling the franchise’ lowest first half output set in 2000.

Still, the Kings battled back and even took a 53-48 lead before fading in the face of Air21’s sustained onslaught led by Dunigan and another former Ginebra player in Mike Cortez.

Source: Malaya.com.ph