Game 2 Preview: Ginebra Aims to Recover From ‘Gulpe de Gulat’ By Alaska

Game 2 Preview: Ginebra Aims to Recover From ‘Gulpe de Gulat’ By Alaska



WHAT THIS GAME MEANS

If Alaska wins Game 2, BGSM is on the ropes. If Ginebra wins, then golly, it’s a series!

Remember how Manny Pacquiao staggered Juan Manuel Marquez in the first round of their first fight? That’s practically what Alaska did to the Barangay, and Ginebra wasn’t able to dodge the haymakers. The question now is, going into Game 2, will Coach Alfrancis Chua be able to make technically sound adjustments to recover from the shellacking they got in Game 1 the way JMM countered his way into a draw in that first fight? Will Ginebra display unbelievable resiliency and high adversity quotient the way JMM did?

Or will Alaska show again that they are a flat out better team?



WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR

BGSM’s ball movement, people movement, and fastbreak opportunities.

Ginebra got a good dose of Alaska’s elite defense last Wednesday — a defense that limits a staggering .89 points per possession (the Indiana Pacers, NBA’s best defensive team limits their opponents to .96 points per possession). And that dose was so strong that they literally didn’t have an answer for it.

If Ginebra wants to be more efficient against Alaska’s devastating close-outs and decision-making on defense, they have to counter with tons of ball movement and people movement. Quick passes from side-to-side and off-ball motion will get Alaska’s defenders off balance. The Aces’ D is too smart and too good for BGSM to just run basic in-and-out and pick and roll offenses.

Another good counter to a solid D would be getting to the other side of the court before the defense gets set. That means BGSM has to finish defensive possessions with good rebounding and then they should run at every opportunity and get easy baskets.



WHO TO WATCH OUT FOR

Ellis. Baracael. Urbiztondo.

These three guard/forwards were very crucial in BGSM’s conquest of Talk ‘N Text in the semifinals. They gave the Barangay much needed depth with their contributions on offense as they combined for 25.3 points per game in that series.

Last Wednesday, Ellis, Baracael, and Urbiztondo were downright atrocious on offense, producing a combined 6 points. Yes, Ginebra’s guards haven’t seen blitz rotations on defense like they encountered against Alaska in Game 1, but they just have to do better. We already saw how deep Alaska can be with almost every role player contributing in the first game, now it’s time for BGSM to match that type of production.

Photos c/o InterAKTV

Source: Slamonlineph.com