Meralco hopes to have scored another gem
The import-laden conference is usually the tournament in which the Meralco Bolts shine. The team always finds a quality big man that can pounce in the paint — one of the biggest holes that plagued the Bolts in the Philippine Cup.
“Just look at the All-Filipino and our weakness is that we can’t match up in the middle. We had a hard time… My best big in the All-Filipino was Reynel Hugantan, who’s a good player no question about that. He’s only about 6-foot-5, weighs about 225 lbs he’s going up against the likes of June Mar Fajardo,” Meralco head coach Norman Black shared.
This conference, Meralco have tapped 6-foot-10 Alex Stepheson. And Stepheson helped the Bolts take a 94-86 win over the Mahindra Floodbuster on Friday evening, with the 29-year-old scoring 11 points and grabbing 21 huge boards.
However, Stepheson, who last played for the Guangzhou Long-Lions last year, looked gassed during his first game in the PBA as he tried to keep pace with Mahindra’s James White. And it’s something Black hopes Stepheson can work on as the season progresses.
“We still have to give Alex some time to get in shape because he needs to work on his conditioning,” Black said.
“But as far as size is concerned and his ability to control the defensive rebounds, he really helps us in those areas.”
On his part, the native of Los Angeles, California knows this and vows to work on it as the season progresses.
“Down low I need to slow down a little bit and find my touch around the basket. Free throw line, improve that,” he lamented as he went to the line just three times in the game.
“Defensively is a little bit different but I’ll adjust to that, we’ll be okay.”
