Tony Mitchell’s PBA return with NLEX on Wednesday did not go the way he pictured it.
Mitchell dropped 34 points and eight rebounds, but his efforts were not enough as the Road Warriors lost to Jeron Teng and the Alaska Aces, 87-100, dropping them to 0-3 in the 2019 PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
“I feel very disappointed. I picked up early fouls. That’s nothing to do with my teammates, nothing to do with the coaches,” said Mitchell, who should have played Saturday, but documentation issues barred him.
“This is all me personally.”
Mitchell said that he felt as if NLEX took a step back versus Alaska with him around. He asserted that the Road Warriors played better last Saturday when they took on NorthPort with an all-Filipino lineup.
NLEX lost that bout, 79-83, but head coach Yeng Guiao expressed satisfaction with how his wards fought.
“I just felt like we took a step back. They played without an import last game and I felt like they played good,” opined the Star Hotshots reinforcement back in 2017.
“And I’m supposed to help them get over the hump and win games.”
But the 27-year-old isn’t dwelling on the loss.
Mitchell is now ready to buckle down for work with his new teammates. He admitted that he wants to know the Road Warriors more so that they can play better next time around.
“I feel like we just need to get in the gym, practice a little more. I need to be more established with my teammates – I feel like I shot the ball a little bit too much today,” said Mitchell, who shot 10-of-22 from the field and had zero assists.
Still, it looks like Mitchell won’t have a hard time jelling with NLEX. The former NBA cager already likes the Road Warriors, even if he has only played one game with them, calling them “fighters” for the stand they put up Wednesday.
NLEX went down big in the first half, but they managed to chop it down to three in the third chapter. And even if they fell behind by 19, 58-77, early in the fourth quarter, the Road Warriors still tried to will themselves back.
“They’re fighters. Social media say NLEX are losers but they’re fighters. They keep playing hard,” he said. “I just wanna get them over the hump; I’m here to get them over the hump. Regardless of them playing hard we have to win games.
“It’s cool. I’m cool with everybody. The guys are good. But at the end of the day, it’s all about winning games.”
