ORLANDO Johnson insists it’s him - and not his local teammates - who still needs to make an adjustment for Barangay Ginebra to turn around its fortunes in the PBA Governors’ Cup.
The Gin Kings import went on an offensive explosion for the second straight game, going for 46 points on 16-of-27 shooting, and completed a double-double with 13 boards in 44 minutes against Talk ‘N Text on Sunday night.
Yet his team still ended up at the losing end, 95-91, as the former Indiana Pacer got very little help from the locals, with Sol Mercado and LA Tenorio the only locals to hit twin digits in scoring.
But the prolific 6-5 guard out of UC Santa Barbara stressed it’s not the locals that are the problem.
“No, it’s me,” said Johnson, who scored 50 points in his PBA debut against Alaska on Friday night. “I’m still adjusting to them and I think with more practice and film-watching, we’ll be okay.”
[See Ginebra coach Lim mum on benching of Asian import Tungalag]
“I could step up more,” he added. “I could do a better job in getting people involved. Everybody’s just seeing my scoring, but I’m really a combo guard, so I’m good at setting people up and giving them good looks.
“And I don’t think I’ve been doing a good job at that,” continued the prolific American wingman, who dished out three assists. “I’ll try to do better. I think once I get the ball moving a little bit better, we’ll be in a better shape.”
Tenorio, who had 10 points but went scoreless in the second half, readily took the blame on behalf of the rest of the locals.
“Parang hinahayaan lang namin siya na siya lang ng siya yung umiskor, pero we need to help Orlando,” the Kings star guard said. “Yun ang pinaka-importante, kasi nag-a-average siya ng ganun, pero talo pa rin kami.”
“So I think it’s not the import anymore (that’s the problem) — it’s the locals,” he added. “Katulad ng sabi ni coach, we need to shape up. This is our chance already na nakakuha ng magaling na import, so it’s up to us how to help him.”
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
