CHICAGO - Pending league approval, when Phoenix agreed to ship Javee Mocon to NLEX for Ato Ular and a PBA Season 51 second-round pick, it appeared that the Fuel Masters got the raw end of the deal.
Unlike Ular, who hasn't played at all in this ongoing Governor's Cup, Mocon has appeared in all of Phoenix's six games and is averaging 6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists per.
But things, as the saying goes, are not always what they seem.
READ Phoenix trading Javee Mocon to NLEX for Ato Ular, 2nd-round pick
A deep dive into this swap actually suggests that Phoenix is trying to pull off a stroke of genius that will benefit the franchise long term.
Here's what I think happened here.
Although Mocon is producing, he really isn't efficient, shooting only 12 of 39 from the field (30.7 percent) and a 2-for-8 clip from 3, a dismal 25 percent.
TACTICAL TRADE FOR PHOENIX.
In a September 3 loss to Rain Or Shine, Mocon struggled mightily, missing 9 of 10 shots. That, perhaps, was the beginning of his end at Phoenix.
Money had to be a factor here, too.
The 6th overall pick of the 2018 draft, Mocon is entitled to receive the max salary. Ular, on the other hand, was drafted in 2022 (13th overall) and is more likely to be still under the max rookie contract scale of around P250,000.
While NLEX is giddy over the prospect of reuniting Mocon with his San Beda teammate, Robert Bolick, the Fuel Masters have reason to be excited with what Ular can bring and which player NLEX's second-round pick will turn out to be.
Strangely, Ular, a strapping 6-foot-4, 196-pound power forward, has racked up six DNP-CDs (Did Not Play-Coach's Decision) under new coach Jong Uichico.
Maybe a change of scenery will reinvigorate his PBA career.
WHAT HAPPENED, GEORGE?
Blackwater import George King has taken the PBA by storm since replacing Ricky Ledo.
In his first three games - all wins - King averaged 38.6 points, 15.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists.
In that span, King hit 35 of 68 field goals ( 51.4 percent), 7-of-15 from 4 (46.6 percent) and 6-of-15 from 3 (40 percent).
In a rematch against Ginebra on Tuesday night, which Blackwater lost, the former NBA-er grabbed 11 boards and issued 8 assists. But he seemed to have forgotten how to shoot the ball.
King finished with just 21 points and went 7-of-14 from the field, 0-for-2 from 4 and 1-of-4 from 3. He had 2 third-quarter points and zero points in the fourth quarter.
Those 14 shots are 8 less than his average in the previous three contests.
I know Ginebra's defense is great but King is a machine. Him scoring two points in the second half of a game where he played for 43 minutes and 17 seconds looks weird.
Right, George?
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