CHICAGO - He doesn't have the cache' of having played in the NBA, an all-important credential that bumps up an import's pay and acclaim in the extremely lucrative world of international basketball.
Having flown to Manila just days before the start of the PBA Commissioner's Cup, he didn't have enough practice time with NLEX, either.
But when it came time to play on Thursday night at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, Mike Watkins acquitted himself well, seamlessly inserting himself into a new system and an unfamiliar league.
READ NorthPort destroys NLEX by 27 points in impressive PBA debut
The 6-foot-9, 245-pound center-forward carded 29, points, 19 rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a steal in a PBA debut where he commanded the court for 43 minutes and 09 seconds.
Although his free throw shooting was a screaming, burning red flag (7-of-14), the Penn State alum was efficient from the field 11-of-18, a high 61.1 percent.
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The 29-year old Hail Mary option for NLEX after former North Carolina star and 12-year NBA veteran Ed Davis backed out due to "personal reasons," Watkins did more than enough to carry his team to victory.
FIGHT-LESS WARRIORS.
Unfortunately, the Road Warriors did very little battling against NorthPort and fell in a heap of lame, 114-87.
Losing by 27 points to the Batang Pier, who aren't a powerhouse by any stretch of the imagination, is usually the fate suffered by Blackwater or hapless Terrafirma.
But not NLEX, a surrogate of the MVP Group. In fact, I don't remember the last time, if ever, NLEX lost by 27.
It happened because NLEX missed 50 of its 79 field goals tonight, a sorry 36.7 percent. The Road Warriors went just 5-of-25 from 3 (20 percent) and 1-of-9 from 4 (11.1 percent). They also bungled 10 free throws.
Robert Bolick did a lot of the misfiring and scored a meager three points on 1-of-11 from the field including an 0-for-4 fare at the 4-point line and 0-for-1 from 3.
Brought in via trade from NorthPort last December, Bolick was anointed as the franchise's next big star since superstar Kiefer Ravena eloped for the Japan B.League.
THE SAVIOR?
Well, Bolick did not save the Road Warriors today, he only helped sink them against a Batang Pier team that shot 50 percent from the field (42-of-84) and 37.5 percent from 3 (9-of-24).
After the game, Bolick allegedly threw a fit in the locker room, blaming everyone for the loss but himself, multiple sources told.
I hope that's not true because a real leader always takes accountability and never throws teammates under the bus.
With 29 points on 10-of-17 shooting, Arvin Tolentino looked like an import out there. NorthPort's reinforcement, Kadeem Jack, wasn't too shabby either with 25 points, six rebounds and three assists.
I'm sure NLEX is inclined to rationalize that losing by one point is just the same as losing by more. No, it's not. Getting beat by 27 is muder and it reflects a lack of preparation, cohesion, and, God forbid, fighting spirit.
For years, coach Yeng Guiao, the clipboard genius with the indomitable spirit, steered the Road Warriors to relevance. He won't stand for this kind of lackluster effort that betrays the ethos of hard work of competitive fervor.
Among the MVP group teams, NLEX is the only one left without a title. And the way it's going, the Road Warriors aren't getting any closer to a championship.
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