Mac Belo against San Miguel defenders. PBA IMAGES
Seen as a marked man by San Miguel, Mac Belo suffered his worst showing in his young PBA career on Friday.
The undoubted rookie leader tallied a measly four points on a 1-of-5 showing from the field and logged seven rebounds and an assist in 22 minutes on the floor in Blackwater’s 118-93 loss to the Beermen.
Belo said that the huge setback should serve as an eye opener for Blackwater as it continues to seek a quarterfinals berth this 2017 PBA Philippine Cup.
“It only means one thing, that we still need to improve as a team and individually,” the softspoken forward said.
Belo struggled against bevy of defenders zeroing in on him, with June Mar Fajardo, Arwind Santos, Ronald Tubid, and Chris Ross all taking turns in limiting the superb neophyte.
The FEU stud admitted that the Beermen’s defensive schemes truly made his life harder.
“It was also hard for me to do anything when they were throwing all types of defense on me. So for me, I know I have a lot to improve. I learned a lot in this game,”
Belo hopes this experience would only help him become a better player, which he hopes will be beneficial for the Elite in the long run.
“San Miguel’s players are all matured. We know they’re a champion team so I learned a lot–that they don’t rush their shots and they know when to attack and go to the post. Their maturity is something else.”
Blackwater springs back to action on January 15 against Alaska.