KJ MCDANIELS continued to be a monster off the boards for Meralco.
McDaniels grabbed 22 rebounds to go with 32 points in the Bolts’ 107-102 victory over NorthPort on Thursday night that gave them a perfect 2-0 start to the 2023 PBA Governors' Cup at the PhilSports Arena.
His 22 boards were one short of the career-high he set in the Bolts' opening 105-87 win against Rain or Shine - and matched his previous best which he set while playing for TNT in 2019, according to PBA statistics head Fidel Mangonon.
READ: Meralco holds off NorthPort, stays unbeaten
McDaniels’ current average is way higher than his previous averages of 13.5 in 2019 with TNT and 11.5 in 2021 with NLEX.
That's exactly what the doctor ordered for Meralco, which puts a premium on rebounding, which is a big part of its defensive philosophy.
“I mentioned in the last game that it is one of the reasons why we really want to bring him back,” said Meralco coach Norman Black on McDaniels’ rebounding. “Some people question that decision because they say we didn’t win last conference.”
McDaniels was a replacement import in the Commissioner's Cup where the Bolts missed the playoffs. Some people opposed the decision of the Bolts coaching staff to bring him back, but McDaniels so far is proving them wrong.
“We really felt that he can play the big man position in this conference because he is basically 6-5 and under. And he is a strong guy. He is about 235 pounds, he is athletic, he can maneuver around the basket.
“We can get points around the team as far as being able to score enough to win but we really need him to control the boards because that completes our defense. Of course, we play great defense but if we don’t get the rebound, it doesn’t really mean anything.
"I’m happy that he is rebounding really well this conference,” said Black.
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