FRANKIE LIM, the newly appointed Barangay Ginebra San Miguel mentor, said changes are in the offing for the underachieving Kings.
Lim finally broke his silence on his appointment as Ginebra head coach two days after it leaked to the media. He admitted that there is pressure for him to perform, especially for the most popular basketball team in the country, which last won a crown in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) in 2008.
“I am honored to be appointed as head coach of the most popular team in the PBA.I am thankful to the management for giving me the trust and confidence,” Lim said in a statement on Wednesday.
“My duty is to bring the team to the next level of excellence, ensuring that we set higher goals for ourselves to bring back the fire, tenacity and win championships as we owe it to our dear fans,” he added.
“I thank everyone for the support and rest assured I am committed to this role. Surely it is not an easy task, there will be changes, but change is good and I am for the challenge. From King Lion am now Gin Kings.”
Lim, who replaced Ato Agustin, will formally assume his post on Monday when the team returns to practice for the season-ending Governors’ Cup, which starts on May 5.
But even before they step into the gym, Lim already tinkered with the roster and added security to the future of the squad.
Seldom-used players Dylan Ababou and James Forrester were traded to Barako Bull for the Energy’s first-round selection in the coming rookie draft.
But according to a team insider, the deal with Barako Bull is only the tip of a series of changes under Lim’s watch at Ginebra.
There are reports that LA Tenorio and Chris Ellis are on the trading block. A Tenorio-Stanley Pringle swap went viral on social media although GlobalPort Team Manager Bonnie Tan denied the rumor and they are keen on keeping the No. 1 overall pick of the 2014 draft, as of now.