With the way Marcio Lassiter has been shooting at a phenomenal rate and how he consistently delivers from an offensive standpoint, the San Miguel wing man may be on his way to entering the conversation for PBA Governors’ Cup Best Player of the Conference.
Through eight games in the conference where the Beermen have won six, Lassiter is averaging 14.5 PPG, 4.1 RPG, and 2 APG and is shooting 47.9 percent from the three-point area, the fourth best in the league.
The 2011 4th overall pick also leads the conference in three-pointers made and is the ninth best local scorer. On the Beermen roster, he is ranked no. 4 in win shares or an estimate of how many won games a player adds to a team.
San Miguel Head Coach Leo Austria bared that he always trusted Lassiter as the Beermen’s scoring guard ever since taking over the team and his rise is something Austria has been waiting for.
“Matagal ko nang hinihintay ‘yun para kay Marcio. Since I coached this team I know his time will come,” Austria said. “Nare-retain niya ‘yung confidence na hinahanap niya and I am proud of him. Ang maganda is nag-iimprove ang defense niya because kailangan two-way ka.”
Lassiter’s fellow wing man Chris Lutz added his teammate brings it “on both ends” and is one of the most consistent performers of the Beermen roster.
“He has been super consistent every game. He is shooting well at a very high percentage and defending well. There is no question he should be there [in the race]. He is not just a one-trick pony, he gets to the rack, gets to the line, and plays defense,” Lutz said.
Arwind Santos, a former MVP himself, thinks the spike in Lassiter’s showing in the conference is tantamount to how the squad works like a team.
“Lahat kami nag-step up. Ayan ang team at hindi mo alam kung sino ang puputok. Hindi lang go-to guy ang inaasahan. Lahat nagco-contribute,” Santos shared.
Backcourt player Alex Cabagnot, who has been part of the franchise for half a decade now, sees no reason why Lassiter should not be included in the debate for this conference’s top gun.
“Why not. He should and he has been playing hard and producing. I don’t see why he shouldn’t be up there. The way he is playing and the way we are winning, why not. He plays offense and defense. That is one of the things you need, especially in the later part of the season. We need the energy and he is giving it to us right now,” Cabagnot said.
Lassiter has made a big contribution so far in San Miguel’s drive this conference, and if the team can sustain its winning run, maybe the prolific scoring guard is on his way to being part of the debate.
Photo from PBA Images
