New Ginebra recruit Troy Rosario made his debut in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup. -PBA Images
When the opportunity came to sign with the team he idolized as a child, Troy Rosario did not hesitate in making his dream come true.
“Why not?” Rosario told The Inquirer before Barangay Ginebra’s debut in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup against NLEX at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium on Wednesday.
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It’s also a fresh start for Justin Baltazar, who is finally set to see action for Converge when it takes on undefeated Northport at the same venue on Thursday.
Baltazar was placed on the active roster of the FiberXers a few days after leading the Pampanga Giant Lanterns to their second consecutive MPBL title and later formalized his PBA move after signing a contract before team owner Dennis Anthony Uy.
But while Baltazar was getting ready for the challenge of proving his worth as the top overall pick in the PBA Rookie Draft after dominating the regional scene over the past two seasons, Rosario was looking to showcase the talent he was talking about. Ginebra hopes to meet its needs in the meantime.
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Rosario became an unrestricted free agent after playing two years with Blackwater and reportedly received offers from former teams TNT and Converge.
But Rosario felt that living with Ginebra was something he could not pursue.
“When I got the chance to choose my childhood dream, why would I pass up the opportunity to fulfill it [that]Rosario said in Filipino.
‘smooth transition’
Rosario’s signing became official through a low-key reveal of the official roster for the midseason tournament in the last week of November.
Ginebra is pinning their hopes on Rosario to fill their needs in terms of physical presence in the paint and being a versatile player on the offensive side.
While he seems to be a perfect fit with his new team, Rosario also admitted that there is more work to be done, and not just after Wednesday’s clash with NLEX.
“It’s a smooth transition, but there’s also a lot of room for improvement,” he said. “Of course, it takes time to get to know the system that has been implemented for many years and I have only been with the team for a few weeks. But I will try my best to make up for any shortcomings I may have.”
In the meantime, the hope is that the Fiberaxers can gradually relieve Baltazar until he is fully integrated into the team.
But the Converge coaching staff is also confident Baltazar will have little trouble getting past the adjustment phase.
“Balti will learn faster because we are familiar with each other’s game,” FiberXers assistant coach Charles Tiu told The Inquirer. “I’ve trained him in the past [with Strong Group Athletics in the Dubai Invitational] And some of our sets are similar to those in Pampanga.
TU Converge consultant was referring to Rajko Toroman, who helped the Giant Lanterns retain their successful MPBL title, which ended with a three-game sweep of the Quezon Huskers in the national finals.
Having recently concluded the eight-month MPBL season, how long or how short Baltazar plays in his debut is something the Fiberaxers will find out once he takes the field against the Batang Pier.
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“We have to figure out how much he’ll play early on, because he hasn’t had much of a chance to rest,” Tu said.
