THE key pieces Blackwater had gotten in the Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser trade is now being utilized slowly but surely by the Bossing.
The team already suited up Jaydee Tungcab on Saturday against TNT, while big man Justin Chua is expected to follow suit shortly after the Holy Week break.
Coach Jeff Cariaso said he opted to use Tungcab against the Tropang Giga after just practicing for two days with Blackwater following the trade. He didn’t play in the team’s debut game against Meralco in a 96-93 win.
The 6-foot-3 Tungcab scored only a single basket in his first game as a Bossing, but added four rebounds and five assists in Blackwater’s 87-76 victory over the Tropang Giga for a rare 2-0 start in the PBA Philippine Cup.
Cariaso said Tungcab’s familiarity with TNT somehow helped the Bossing pull off the upset.
“Very familiar siya dito sa TNT. That’s why we said we’re going to put you out there and see what you have,” said Cariaso of the former University of the Philippines product.
While Tungcab isn’t familiar yet with Cariaso’s system, the coach said he can see the smartness in the young guard.
“You see how a smart player he is, he picks up things easily. So I was nervous at all, I wasn’t scared at all to put him out there.”
The 6-foot-6 Chua was in civilian clothes as he watched the game on the sideline for Blackwater, but Cariaso expects him to comeback three weeks from now.
The 34-year-old Chua continues to recover from the ACL injury he suffered during Game 1 of last season’s Governors’ Cup.
“We’re looking forward to having him also. Kilala naman natin si Justin, he’s a veteran, he’s experienced, and again, he’s also a smart player,” said Cariaso.
“At times you may undervalue the smartness of a player, you see and look at all skills and talent. But I kid you not, when you have smart players, a lot of good things happen just as well,” the Bossing coach added. “Of course, you need talent, you need skills. But what I’m saying is when you combined those two, you know you have a team that should improve and be better. Hopefully, that’s the road that we’re on.”
Blackwater returns to action on Wednesday when it takes on Converge.
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