EVAN Nelle won't deny that his performance this UAAP Season 84 is below par.
"Honestly, I’m playing bad," he said, with the 5-foot-10 court general only averaging 7.8 points on 23-percent shooting from threes, to go with 2.8 assists, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in 25 minutes for La Salle.
It's a far cry from the Nelle who finished MVP runner-up in NCAA Season 95 and led the league with 6.3 assists in his last season in San Beda, while also posting 10.5 points on 31-percent clip from deep as well as 4.6 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 31.5 minutes.
Evan Nelle expects more from himself
That kind of disappointment is understandable with the 23-year-old playmaker holding himself to a high standard.
After all, he himself has posted these lofty expectations on his back, one that he admits has burdened him in his first year with the Green Archers, saying, "I think I’m putting too much pressure on myself, thinking too much."
"The whole first round, I don’t think I've ever reached five assists. So that's something I need to work on. I need to run the offense more and lessen my turnovers talaga."
Even in La Salle's 61-58 escape of Adamson on Saturday, Nelle won't gloss over the fact that he was outplayed by his counterpart Jerom Lastimosa.
Though he made a crucial three in the last 16.3 seconds that capped off the Green Archers' 14-2 run to give his side the 59-55 lead, Nelle isn't happy with how he played altogether.
"I don’t think this is a good game cause in the stats, I had three turnovers and one assist. I feel I got outplayed by Jerom Lastimosa so I don’t count this as a good game. I just made a big shot, that’s why it looks like a good game," he rued.
One thing working for Nelle, however, is the confidence he gets from coach Derick Pumaren who continues to trust him to be the one to set the table when it matters the most for La Salle.
"I feel naman that I've adjusted. I should just, like what coach is saying, let the game come to me. I shouldn’t force anything, I should get my teammates involved," he said.
Good players always find a way to shine, and bet on Nelle to get his bearings back sooner rather than later.
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.
