CHICAGO - In his much-anticipated PBA debut with Converge on Friday, Justine Baltazar shook more heads than he turned at a barren Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
In the immediate aftermath of the FiberXers' 108-101 loss to rampaging NorthPort, the reviews in podcasts were mixed, ranging from cold and dismissive to warm and promising.
I reserve judgment for now. One game just isn't enough body of work. His transition from the MPBL to the PBA will be a tedious process that involves so many moving parts and variables to fall into place.
READ Balti stays patient after rough PBA debut for Converge
The former Gilas Pilipinas soldier toiled for 20 minutes and 43 seconds and carded a low triple-single of five points, four rebounds and three assists. He shot the ball five times, sank two, and had zero turnovers.
Certainly not what you'd expect from the No.1 overall pick in the Rookie Draft.
BALTI IS TIRED.
But here's the thing, Baltazar had just finished MPBL Season Six, a nine-month odyssey from April to December where he played 33 regular elimination-round games before carrying the Pampanga Giant Lanterns to back-to-back titles.
Along the way, the 6-foot-9, 250-pound center-forward captured back-to-back league MVP and Finals MVP plums. By the time he was done, Justine had the battery power of a dead cellphone.
"He was getting IV treatments a day before (the NorthPort game)," Converge coach Charles Tiu told me via text message on Friday night.
"We weren't sure whether to play him yesterday but he wanted to help the team so we acquiesced and put him on a minutes restriction," said Tiu, who added that Balti's conditioning is "not a problem."
Besides the fatigue, Baltazar is also dealing with the required inconvenience of moving to Manila as a full-time PBA player. Given those circumstances, it will be a while until he finds his comfort zone and belts out the best version of himself.
A WHOLE NEW WORLD.
"In the MPBL, he had pretty much no match-up in terms of size and skills. In the PBA we have guys who are as big, if not bigger, and just as skilled.
"But once he settles in, I think he will be a dominant player because he is a complete player," said Tiu who guided Strong Group Athletics (SGA) to the 43rd Jones Cup title last September and the College of St. Benilde to the NCAA Finals this month.
Balti will play the 4 and the 5 for now but he may moonlight at 3 at some point, Tiu explained.
Although he came off the bench in his debut, coach Charles envisions Balti as a future starter. And here's the kicker.
Eventually, Balti and Justin Arana will play "a lot" together, a dream scenario that FiberXers fans have been salivating on since that night in July when Baltzar was chosen by Converge.
Fitting Baltazar in the team concepts and culture won't be as easy as assembling a portable chair but coach Tiu is optimistic about a good fit.
"Balti is a fast learner. He would be alright after a few more practices. But he has to learn to play with his teammates and be familiar with them."
Long story short, Converge is imploring its fan base to exercise one great virtue.
Patience.
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