Are Jalen Hudson’s days with Converge numbered?
Head coach Delta Pineda declined to comment further after Converge’s import once again delivered an underwhelming performance in the team’s victory over Macau on Friday, which kept the FiberXers unbeaten through three games in the PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup.
“Parang may nakita kayo, ah. May napansin ba kayo? Napansin din namin eh,” the incumbent Pampanga vice governor told reporters with a grin during the postgame press conference of their 149-124 victory over the guest ball club at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
“Huwag na muna ho akong mag-comment ngayon. Pero one thing, ‘yung napansin niyo, napansin ko rin.”
Hudson finished with 12 points, albeit on 12 shots and 5 rebounds, against the Giant Pandas. That was a marked improvement from his outing against Terrafirma last Wednesday, where he only mustered two points in 26 minutes.
“Nag-ano naman eh … O, see, 12 and five. Noong nakaraan, two ‘yan. Malay niyo 22 na sa susunod, ‘di ba,” said Pineda in jest.
(C) PBA Images
But it can’t be denied that he still left a lot to be desired, especially after playing well in their 105-74 drubbing of an all-Filipino Titan Ultra last July 12.
There, Hudson finished with 20 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and four steals without a turnover. However, he showed a sub-par shooting with only a 6-of-15 clip from the floor, including just one make in his six attempts from three.
Safe to say, the 30-year-old former NBA G League campaigner has been far from the form he showed during his first foray in the PBA with TNT during the 2023 Governors’ Cup, where he led the team to a 5-1 start.
That included a 56-point showing against, coincidentally, Converge. Hudson headlined their 128-122 victory back on February 8 of that year at the SMART Araneta Coliseum, although the team eventually replaced him with Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.
Fortunately for Converge, said Pineda, the locals have been delivering the goods despite Hudson being hardly a factor. Against the Giant Pandas alone, Justin Arana starred with a career-high 39 points and 12 rebounds.
“Pero good thing, ‘yung mga local ko, nakipag-patayan naman po. Malaking bagay po ‘yun. Nakikita ko ‘yung mga local, nagpupursigi po,” he offered.
Asked further if they’ll bring in a new reinforcement entering their next three games — versus San Miguel, the Tropang 5G, and NLEX, in that order — Pineda chooses to remain patient with the native of Akron, Ohio.
“Wala, wala pa naman po,” he said. “I think kailangan lang bigyan ng chance, pagkakataon. Sinabi ko nga sa kanya na… Tingin namin, masyado siyang presyurado inside the court.
“He needs to relax. ‘Yun lang siguro.”
