Reports surfaced Thursday evening that Gilas Pilipinas floor general Jio Jalalon is set to be drafted by the Star Hotshots.
Currently, Star are loaded in one position, with recently-acquired Paul Lee leading the pack. Also in their roster are Mark Barroca, RR Garcia, PJ Simon, and combo guard Alex Mallari. If the reports are true, this will further create a logjam in the Star backcourt, which will be a “good problem” for head coach Chito Victolero.
Jio Jalalon will play behind newly-acquired Paul Lee
Once he heard the news, the Cagayan de Oro native shared that he was delighted to be part of the storied franchise.
“Nakita ko kagabi na yun nga, yung report. Natutuwa ako. Kinausap ko kaagad yung family ko na mayroon nang lumabas sa Facebook na Hotshot nga ako. Sabi ko, okay naman,” he shared Friday afternoon during the 2016 SLAM Draft Suite.
“Nung sa Purefoods talaga, nung nandun pa si Coach Tim [Cone], favorite ko talaga siyang coach. Nung high school pa ako, pinapanood ko na sila. So parang, sabi ko sa sarili ko, sana malagay ako sa kanya.”
Jalalon, however, knows that the pro ranks will be a different animal from the collegiate game. Even if he is considered as one of the finest point guards in collegiate basketball, he knows that he has to be patient and earn his stripes.
“Ako ready na lang ako. kung ano man ang mangyari doon. Alam ko talaga na maraming point guard dun. Siguro, tiisin ko na lang kasi as a rookie, di ka naman basta-basta pag nasa PBA ka na, kasi lahat ng mga player na magagaling, nandun na eh,” the 5-foot-8 guard said.
Jalalon is looking at the journey of his friend Scottie Thompson with Ginebra. Thompson started his PBA career with just spot minutes during the All-Filipino Cup, but has become a pivotal cog in Ginebra’s championship run during the Governors Cup.
“Sabi ko sa sarili ko, ganun naman din talaga pag rookie ka. Nakikita ko siya nung una niyang sabak, di rin talaga [malalim minuto niya],” he said about Thompson, who was his teammate during the 2015 SEA Games. “Nung pangalawa, nagulat ako na grabe na oras niya. So ayun, grabe ang pinakita niya.”
“So ready lang ako kung ano ipapagawa sa akin.”
