SUNNY days have been few and far in between for Batangas this 2018 PBA D-League Foundation Cup.
But one of the few bright spots for the Generals this conference has been Cedric de Joya.
Standing at 5-foot-5, the diminutive playmaker has been the undisputed leader for Batangas, netting 19.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in the team’s first three games.
And he would be the first to take responsibility for any shortcomings.
Case in point: Batangas’ humiliating 106-64 loss to Marinerong Pilipino on Monday, where he posted 19 points and grabbed five boards but only had one assist.
“Siguro may pagkukulang din ako,” he said. “Lamang ang kalaban, tapos hindi ko pa masyadong na-handle yung team ko."
De Joya took the loss hard but stresses that with a 1-2 card early in the conference, hope isn’t lost for the Generals.
He believes this squad is a far better team than the that which went 2-9 in the Aspirants’ Cup.
"Sa team namin ngayon, family kami. Mas lumakas kami ngayon at mas tumibay ang players namin," remarked the 24-year-old as Batangas got a big boost with the addition of Clark Derige, Oliver Arim and Clark Bautista.
Coach Oliver Bunyi expects the De Joya to be much better after the experience.
“Although medyo nagkulang lang si Cedric ng konti, I'm sure he knows what to do in the next games," he said, as Batangas shifts its focus on Che’Lu Bar and Grill on Thursday.
With Kate Reyes
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