If you look at the upper half of the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup standings, you’ll notice the contenders, stable franchises, and even upstart organizations hoping to put together a solid run to the playoffs. However, one familiar presence seems to be missing and it just so happens to be the PBA’s most popular franchise. 

With three wins and four losses, the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings are closer to the cellar than they normally are. A 1-3 start to their All-Filipino conference campaign was not ideal to say the least and the frustration was brewing even when the games were decided. 

But the Gin Kings may be turning things around. Ginebra’s loss to the Converge FiberXers was their sole defeat in a three-game stretch that saw them pull off solid wins over the NLEX Road Warriors and the Phoenix Fuel Masters. 

The Gin Kings’ victory over the Fuel Masters was particularly of note, because they were facing a younger squad eager to overtake them in the standings. Throughout the game, Ginebra was dealing damage from inside and out, while taking shots from the perimeter and in the paint as well. 

But a strong performance from RJ Abarrientos aside, it was evident that the Gin Kings were playing with a higher sense of urgency, one driven by some degree of panic and a few ounces of pressure from being the crowd favorite. Being first place is always the dream, but for Ginebra to find themselves close to the bottom is both unfamiliar and disappointing by their lofty standards. 

Unlike their sister teams Magnolia Hotshots and the San Miguel Beermen, the Gin Kings are not exactly a young roster nor has reloading worked for them in recent times. They’ve been forced to adapt to current circumstances due to injuries and sudden player departures and while it has led to some struggles, there are still some positives to be gained. 

The return of Jeremiah Gray has been slow and steady, but we’re seeing more flashes of the talent that make him an integral part of Ginebra’s future. On the whole, the Gin Kings bench has gotten more exposure as Ginebra head coach Tim Cone has tapped on the likes of Jayson David and Norbert Torres to light a fire under the team. 

Looking ahead, though, the Barangay Gin Kings cannot let up now. They only have four games to play and with seven other teams ahead of them, it’s more likely than not they will find themselves in the last two spots of the quarterfinals. A team as talented as the Gin Kings can surely overcome that kind of challenge, but the Never-Say-Die mentality may not work against teams that Ginebra could have avoided with a better showing in the preliminaries.