In his first 17 PBA D-League games, Jeron Teng played for two teams, the AMA Online Education Titans during the Aspirants Cup and the Flying V Thunder during the Foundation Cup. During that span, the 6-foot-2 forward proved that he can score against taller competition.
But a challenge by Flying V head coach Eric Altamirano changed Teng’s outlook for Flying V’s last three games of the conference.
“Jeron has nothing to prove when it comes to his scoring, but the good thing is he’s showing that he’s a multi-dimensional player,” said the veteran mentor.
For three straight games, the 23-year-old showed that he can rebound and that he can dish out dimes as well, breaking the D-League record for triple-doubles in the process, with norms of 21.67 points, 12.67 rebounds, and 11.0 assists.
Teng did not even mention about the one-year record he had just broken, though, immediately shifting his attention to the title aspirations of the 10-0 Thunder.
“It’s a good thing coming into the playoffs that we’re still peaking,” the two-time UAAP champion stated after Flying V’s tenth win of the conference against Batangas Tuesday night. “Even though wala pa kaming talo, we’re still continuously learning.
“We’ll see when we get there because we have to get back to practice right away.”
With an unblemished slate, Teng knows that their biggest opponents are themselves. And complacency is the one thing he and the Thunder need to avoid, as he wants to end his D-League stint with a championship.
“I think more than looking at our opponents, we need to focus on improving ourselves,” the second generation cager shared. “We got a good organization and the best coaching staff. The players puro veterans, you can expect anybody can step up.
“We know what we’re capable of.”
