Isaac staying patient with Blackwater import Rhett
Blackwater import MJ Rhett (2) gets hacked by Mahindra import Augustus Gilchrist. PBA IMAGES
Blackwater coach Leo Isaac is keeping his patience with import MJ Rhett.
“Our import is slowly getting there,” he said. “He’s also being challenged by everybody, including the management, to have a better performance.”
Ineffective in his PBA debut in the Elite’s defeat to an import-less TNT, Rhett bounced back big and imposed his will against Mahindra on Sunday, finishing with 19 markers, 18 boards, three assists, and two blocks in Blackwater’s 110-102 victory.
Rhett made a big improvement after tallying only 16 points and seven rebounds against TNT.
“He knows his spot is not secured until he can play as an import who can dominate and help our franchise to get victories in the second conference,” said Isaac.
But what keeps Rhett’s chances alive is the promise that Blackwater sees in him.
“He’s very young. He’s just 23 years old. He’s coming out of college and just had a season of international play in Latvia and Russia. He’s very raw in terms of international basketball, but we find potential in him,” Isaac said. “We believe he can be a good import if he can adjust quickly to our brand of play, not just in Blackwater, but also in the PBA. Hopefully, he can be more dominant in our next coming games.”
Isaac, though, said that a replacement import will always be a possibility, but he’s keeping his hopes up for the University of Mississippi alum.
“We analyze everything as we play every game. There are options, just in case. Hopefully, we won’t reach that point because we want this import to blossom,” he said, while sharing that Rhett himself is a man on a mission after going undrafted in the 2015 NBA Draft. “His attitude towards the game, he wants to prove something. He felt he was overlooked in the last NBA Draft.”
And Isaac is wishing that the partnership between Rhett and the Elite will be beneficial for both parties.
“If he can help us in our goals, maybe we can help him in his dreams.”
