JOE Devance insisted he had a business-like approach to the game against former team Star, which defeated Barangay Ginebra, 86-78, on Sunday in the PBA Philippine Cup.
It seemed the Gin Kings forward felt uneasy against the Hotshots as he wound up with a solitary point, missing all his four shots and had zero assist, although he grabbed three rebounds in 18 minutes.
“It was weird out there,” Devance admitted. “I had mixed emotions. But it was fun, though, seeing those guys again. It was all business.”
“Myself, I had a bad offensive game,” the veteran Filipino-American cager added. “But we just have to learn how to play with each other and we’ll be alright.”
[See Marlou Aquino says 'pass-first' guard Thompson exactly what doctor ordered for Ginebra]
Devance, though, was glad to find a bright spot in rookie Scottie Thompson, who, he believes, has only scratched the surface of his potential after putting up an impressive debut following just a week of practice with the team.
“I can’t wait ‘til he really learns our offense and system,” said Devance, the triangle offense veteran brought in to expedite the Gin Kings’ learning of coach Tim Cone’s system.
Now the 6-foot-7 “point forward” has found help in Thompson, the former NCAA MVP out of University of Perpetual Help.
“He’s going to be really good,” the 33-year-old Devance said. “You can tell he’s a thinking guard. He can read and he can make plays.”
“He’s perfect for the triangle,” he added. “He can rebound. He can shoot. He can initiate the offense, so I’m excited for him.”
[See Cone: 'We have a good future ahead of us']
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