AS all eyes are on TNT and Barangay Ginebra as they tussle once more for the PBA Governors' Cup trophy, lurking in the shadows is a team that made a pleasant surprise of a quarterfinals run as a three-seed in the conference: Converge.
And as all eyes are on the looming arrival of top pick Justine Baltazar to fully form the FiberXers' foreseen rise to contender status, lurking in the shadows is an assassin who had long made his name on defense, but is now wielding deadly weapons as well at the other end.
"It's a challenge when you reach a certain level to do more and work on your weaknesses. I just tried to be consistent and build on my game, whether that be shooting, ballhandling, or playmaking," Alec Stockton shared with SPIN.ph.
Stockton, picked 21st overall in the 46th Season Draft, now stands at the forefront of Converge's emergence as a team to watch.
In the quarterfinals against mighty San Miguel, he announced his arrival with a game-winning jumper that allowed the FiberXers to stay alive in the best-of-five series.
READ: Alec Stockton's buzzer-beater caps epic Converge comeback vs SMB
It's a far cry from his time at Far Eastern University, when he was quite an afterthought in the Arvin Tolentino-L-Jay Gonzales-Ken Tuffin era.
And when he did make his presence felt, it was for the wrong reasons - for the other teams, to be clear - as he served as irritant for the likes of La Salle's Ricci Rivero and Aljun Melecio and Ateneo's Thirdy Ravena and Matt Nieto.
To this day, the 6-foot-1 guard continues to get under the skin of foes; case in point, his recent clashes with Beermen Terrence Romeo and Marcio Lassiter.
He's just doing so on another level, as he's no longer just a problem on defense, but on the other end, too.
Know your role
Stockton was as pesky as pesky comes as the Tamaraws' designated perimeter defender from UAAP Seasons 80 to 82. He got right up into his assignment's face - and even jersey, at times.
With the likes of Tolentino and Gonzales leading the charge, he didn't have to do much heavy lifting on offense, averaging just 3.7 points and 1.5 assists on top of 1.6 rebounds through three tournaments.
Make no mistake, though, the Fil-American was decent from deep at a 30-percent clip and knew how to cut and slash. But a scoring threat, he wasn't.
Instead, he did his best to impact games as a loud and proud stopper - and he relished the role given to him by coach Olsen Racela.
"I would've loved to showcase my offense, if given the opportunity, of course, but that was my role at that moment and that's how I helped the team be successful. I just did my best to help the team and whatever it takes to win," he said, looking back on his time in green-and-gold.
And he took the assignment to heart, doing the dirty work on defense for FEU whether in five-on-five or the inaugural 3x3 tournament, where he even figured in a heated in-game exchange with Rivero.
"Before committing to FEU, I did my research and found out they produced a ton of guards who became very successful. I really wanted to be amongst those guys," he said.
Indeed, the Tamaraws boast of a long line of primetime playmakers from Johnny Abarrientos to RR Garcia and Romeo all the way to Gonzales and RJ Abarrientos. All of them, though, did much of their damage on offense - unlike Stockton who prides himself on defense.
Still, being a stopper was the role he was ready and raring to keep playing as he went pro, and early on, that was exactly what then-Alaska coach Jeff Cariaso asked of him.
"I remember Dejounte Murray said that Kawhi [Leonard] told him he had to play defense to get on the floor. And as long as you're on the floor, you'll get an opportunity to score. That's what I did and my minutes just started adding up," he said.
Stockton normed no more than 9.7 points in 26 minutes of play in his first two seasons for the rebuilding Aces. Safe to say, he looked like the player he always was as a Tamaraw.
Then that rebuilding team went into a rebrand - and it all went online for him, as he began donning the colors of Converge.
Feed me more
Of course, the now-26 year old had to fight for the right for more responsibilities. At the same time, however, he was fortunate there came a golden opportunity after the franchise tore down its foundations.
"Management and the coaching staff gave me a bigger role, with our veterans leaving, especially the likes of Mav [Ahanmisi] and JT (Jeron Teng). Somebody had to step up and the opportunity was up for grabs," he said.
"But the magic is in the work. So I put in the work and, luckily, it all came together."
Thanks to opportunity meeting preparation, what was once a dark night for the FiberXers now has a streaking shooting star to look at.
By posting per game counts of 21.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in the Governors' Cup, Stockton sent a statement that he is - and will continue to be - a cornerstone for the franchise alongside Baltazar, Justin Arana, and Schonny Winston.
"As an individual, all of us players want to be playing at the highest level. I never expected it to be this way, but for sure, when you're working, it's in the back of your head that one day, I'm gonna be taking the last shot and helping carry my team," he said.
And even better for Purple Nation, their two-way guard says they've only just begun.
"I'm very excited, especially with how we showcased ourselves this conference. We got a bunch of new guys coming in, and we got a lot more work to do," he said.
As all eyes are on the big names and big games, slowly but surely waltzing his way out of the shadows is an assassin who can hurt you on offense, and then put the clamps on you as you run towards your side of the court.
Stockton is no longer a mere defensive stopper, however, but a legitimate rising star - and with his attitude, he's perfectly suited to carry the torch for a Converge side that has grand plans of shocking the system.
"It is what it is. You gotta be on one side. If I'm playing for Converge, I'm gonna give my 100 percent for Converge," he answered when asked about being the player fans root for when he's on their team, but revile if he's with the opposition.
"I feel like given the reputation that I have, some people would mistakenly think I'm doing dirty stuff just because I'm playing hard. But I just do whatever it takes to win."
Watch him. Watch out for him. He and the FiberXers are coming.
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