Jackson Corpuz showed right away how valuable an asset he can be for Magnolia when he made his debut on Sunday.
Traded from the Columbian Dyip to the Hotshots for Aldrech Ramos late last season, Corpuz produced 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting along with 13 rebounds versus defending champs San Miguel.
But he was hardly upbeat even with such a good outing. After all, he and the Hotshots had absorbed a 94-78 beatdown from the Beermen, making it a bad start for their 2020 PBA Philippine Cup campaign.
“Maganda man ang ginawa ko pero talo pa rin. Mas importante sa amin ‘yung panalo,” the 6-foot-4 bruiser lamented moments after the match at SMART Araneta Coliseum.
“Wala, talo.”
Still, there’s no denying Corpuz’s solid contributions for the Hotshots, whom many view as a top contender for this season’s All-Filipino cagewars.
But the 31-year-old forward out of PCU said that he still needs to adjust to his new team.
“Last time sa Columbian, naging isa ako sa main man nila doon,” said Corpuz, who started his career with Columbian in 2017.
“Ngayon, dito, panibagong role na naman. Pero okay naman ako.”
It was a stinging defeat, but Corpuz and the Hotshots now have their sights set on redemption.
“Re-regroup lang kami. Kailangan lang namin mag-usap-usap. Sa viewing, kailangan namin makita ‘yung mga ginawa naming mali.“
