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THREE-WAY TRADE SENDS ALLADO, CANALETA TO PUREFOODS
dennis PRINCIPE
Monday, 26 January 2009

Seven players will be wearing new uniforms when the PBA’s Fiesta Conference opens shop next month.

Purefoods TJ Giants, hampered by injuries to players expected to deliver on offense this season got two talented players in Don Allado and Nino Canaleta from Air21. The Giants had to let go of Beau Belga, Chad Alonzo, Chico Lanete and their 2013 draft pick.

“We have acknowledged identified our weakness in the last conference which is scoring. Those two will definitely help us to more or less address our choke point because they are known as good offensive players,” said coach Ryan Gregorio when contacted by SportsNews.ph.

Gregorio said his team has become predictably a Kerby Raymundo-James Yap team especially down the stretch and now feels his new recruits will help a lot in addressing that problem.

"It will definitely alleviate our problems in relying too much from James and Kerby in scoring. One thing certain is that we will play according to their strengths. KG is probably the best finisher in the open court,” said Gregorio “You give him the ball, he knows what to do with it. We will try not to make things complicated. With them on board it will open up the paint for us.”

The Express meanwhile immediately shipped Lanete along with JC Intal and Doug Kramer to Barangay Ginebra for the Gin Kings 2012 and 2013 draft picks.

“For me it’s not really a blockbuster trade because we feel it will just fill in our injured spots. It’s not really a trade that will turn the team around. It will help the team but it’s more on answering the need to fill in our injured spots,” said Ginebra coach Jong Uichico.

Uichico said Junthy Valenzuela recently underwent operation which the multi-titled mentor refused to divulge. Uichico however said Valenzuela will be out of commission for about six to eight weeks.

Uichico added that they have no idea when superstar Mark Caguioa will be back. Caguioa also underwent knee operation late last year by Los Angeles Lakers team physician Steve Lombardo.

Uichico hopes his two new additions will help solve their needs sooner than expected.

“Doug is young but we’ll see what he can do. For sure it will help our frontline. We really have more five’s than we have four’s,” said Uichico “JC and Doug have good potentials but potential is potential. We still have to see if they will be able to do what I want them to do.”

Meanwhile Gregorio said management have already reached an agreement with their import Reggie Larry, a former Boise State standout who had a short stint with the Golden State Warriors during the league’s summer tournament last year.

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