TNT coach Chot Reyes admitted he is not yet satisfied with the play of import McKenzie Moore so far in the 2021 PBA Governors' Cup.
Moore has been performing below expectations for TNT, and on Friday, he had 13 points while shooting just 3-of-12 from the field in the 81-77 win over Alaska. He also grabbed four rebounds and had two assists for TNT.
The Tropang GIGA import sat out most of the final minutes of the game, with the coaching staff going to an all-Filipino lineup and was only inserted in the dying seconds, just to inbound the ball.
In his first game, Moore had 15 points, 14 rebounds, and nine assists in the loss to NLEX.
Although he expressed his dissatisfaction, Reyes said he is giving Moore the benefit of the doubt, as he revealed that he is playing hurt.
Moore injury
“To be very honest, it’s not what we expect from a regular import,” said Reyes. “The numbers prove that. But to be fair with him, he is playing on a jumper’s knee. He is not 100 percent. He is really trying and forcing and severely hobbled his ability to move and to jump. He has no lift in his shots.”
Reyes said he opted to sit Moore in the last stretch of the match for defensive purposes.
“We run a lot of defensive schemes and it takes some time to be familiar with it. Hindi pa kabisado ng import namin. I felt it was better that we go with the guys who already know what we are doing.
"Even if Mac was playing well or even if Gab Banal was playing well, we still have to go with the guys who knew how we wanted to play defense in the end. That’s the reason for that,” said Reyes.
The former University of Texas-El Paso product is also not happy with his performance thus far in the 2021 Governors’ Cup.
“Obviously, struggling a little bit. Got to be better. Pretty plain and simple,” said Moore.
The TNT import, who already played for the team during the East Asia Super League, paid tribute to Jayson Castro, who led their team to victory in the clutch.
“When you get a win like that, it feels great. You play the game to win no matter what happens. The guys really played good. Castro led us. He is a great leader and a great player. It was a great win,” said Moore, who also lauded the organization for the family-like atmosphere in the team.
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