Cone says Johnny’s nephew has potential to be transcendent player: ‘Too good to pass up’

PHOTO: IVY FERRER

IT was a difficult decision on the part of Barangay Ginebra to select the player for the No. 3 pick in the PBA Season 49 Draft especially with its need to fill the hole left by big man Christian Standhardinger.

In the end, Cone and his coaching staff chose RJ Abarrientos, a player that he feels has the potential to become a top talent in the guard position in the PBA.

“It was really a tough pick because there’s a lot of good guys in the draft,” said Cone. “We were looking at four players. We felt that Baltazar went at one, and Barefield went at two. There’s a choice for us of about four players that we are looking to.

“The bottom line was we just felt like RJ would be an elite player at his position, maybe even a transcendent player. He has the potential to be that kind of player. It was just somebody we just couldn’t passed up,” said Cone.

Cone said the coaching staff debated on whether to select a big man or a point guard. The option of getting a taller player was seriously considered after the team traded away Standhardinger, a player seen as a possible Mythical Five candidate, at least.

“We were always obsessed with size. We always want to get the big player first. That’s something that we battled with. We want that size especially after trading Christian. Big hole there. So we really debated on it but we just said that we just couldn’t pass up on RJ,” said Cone.

Cone said the decision making for this year’s draft was comparable to 1993 when, as a head coach of Alaska, he was hoping to select a big man in Vic Pablo, but eventually took Johnny Abarrientos when Pablo was no longer available.

Thirty-one years later, it was Johnny’s nephew RJ’s turn to go at No. 3.

“We had the third pick. There was Jun Limpot at No. 1, Vic Pablo at No. 2. And we were hoping for Vic Pablo at the No. 3. We had to take Johnny Abarrientos at No. 3. So we took Johnny and never looked back.”

With RJ not around as he is playing for Strong Group Athletics-Pilipinas in the William Jones Cup, Johnny, who is the Magnolia assistant coach, represented his nephew for the symbolic turnover of the Ginebra jersey.

Cone said RJ has the potential to be better than Johnny.

“They are not exactly the same. I think RJ is more of a lights-out scorer. He can really score. But he has the versatility. He can score. He is a tremendous passer, and he can create just like Johnny could.”

“It’s a different game now than it was back then. And it’s kind of hard to compare them. But Johnny, without a doubt, is the best of his era.”

Great expectations for RJ

“(We) will see how RJ is in two, three, four years and can he raise to that same level as Johnny was. But he is going to get that opportunity with us. We recognize him as a potential star so we’re going to get him that opportunity to shine,” said Cone.

The fact that the two Abarrientoses went at No. 3 was not lost in Cone.

“We are hoping that it turns out. Third pick for RJ. Third pick for Johnny. Both Abarrientos. Kinda poetic, we thought. Really nice story actually,” said Cone.