Entering his first game in the new chapter of his life, Jeron Teng could not hide his excitement. After all, playing in the PBA is a childhood dream of his.
“Super excited ako kasi dream come true for me ito. Every since, dream ko talaga sumali sa PBA like my father,” Teng shared.
The fifth overall pick in the 2017 PBA Rookie Draft started for Alaska in its opener against the Magnolia Hotshots. And he played with a burst of energy, tallying 12 points during the first half. And in true Jeron form, he was able to attack the paint and make a living on the foul stripe.
“But for a rookie to come in and you know, get to the line that much? He attacks, he’s so strong right? And he attacks guys with strength, with his wit, his craftiness,” shared fourth-year Alaska head coach Alex Compton. “Guys just hit him a lot. They just end up hitting him.
“He really gets fouled, he does a great job in getting to the line.”
It took a toll on the 6-foot-2 forward in the second half however. He was saddled with foul trouble that limited him to just four second half points. Making things worse, Alaska could not recover from its second quarter meltdown, falling 95-108.
And no one was more disappointed than Teng himself who is known for winning.
“Siyempre medyo disappointing,” lamented the La Salle alumnus. “First game talo tapos I was hoping na win yung first game ko. Sana nanalo. Tapos eto pa yung last game namin before Christmas.
“Sayang talo.”
Saving his energy is just one of the many lessons he learned from his first foray in the big league. Teng, who won two UAAP championships and a runner-up in the Most Valuable Player race during the 2017 Foundation Cup, admitted that the pro game was different from what he expected.
“It was really different from college and D-League. This is the pros already. The best guys are here.
“It’s a big adjustment for me. As a player, I saw what I needed to improve on to be able to help the team,” the 23-year-old added.
His mentor though was not too hard on Teng, seeing a lot of positives in how he approaches the game.
“He did very well,” beamed Compton.
Teng, though downcast after the game, is determined to embrace Compton’s system and Alaska’s culture before they return to the hardcourt on Friday, December 29 against the TNT Katropa.
“It’s a learning process for me,” the two-time UAAP Finals MVP said. “I am still trying to learn the system of Alaska. They’ve been playing together for how many years already and bago pa lang ako. I need to be more fluid on defense and offense.
“Sa akin, kailangan ko pa matutunan yung system.”
