Jazul to bring Alaska culture to new team Phoenix

Phoenix’s new acquisition RJ Jazul doing extra work after practice. pic.twitter.com/KEyPlE0UkV

— Mark Giongco (@MarkGiongcoINQ) March 7, 2017

RJ Jazul was telling a reporter he intends to build a family-oriented culture with his new team Phoenix, the same kind of atmosphere he got so accustomed to during his stay with Alaska, a team he played for four seasons before being traded last month.

But Jazul was momentarily interrupted in the middle of the interview after his rookie teammate Gelo Alolino, who had just finished putting up extra shots after practice, playfully poked fun at him.

“He’s really my idol. He’s everyone’s idol here,” said Alolino, smiling.

If it was any indication, Jazul is already making his presence felt in just a short span of time with the Fuel Masters. Somehow, someway, Jazul has created a jovial vibe among players.

And that’s how it was with the Aces. Every member of the team is family and that tight-knit relationship on-and-off the court is a big reason why the Aces are winners.

“Alaska’s known to be family-oriented and we’re not just teammates there, we’re brothers. So hopefully, I can incorporate that here because having a solid bond with your teammates will also make us a better team,” Jazul told INQUIRER.net.

Jazul has just started practicing with the Fuel Masters after being traded by the Aces for Simon Enciso, a young point guard who can create his own shot, facilitate and shoot from the outside.

Enciso has the potential to be a star but Phoenix felt the need for a different player and head coach Ariel Vanguardia knew Jazul could fit the bill.

“Leader,” Vanguardia said when asked why he brought in Jazul. “We don’t have that vocal leader yet. Cyrus (Baguio) and JC (Intal) are quiet leaders. Even Willy (Wilson) and Chico (Lanete), who is the captain are also quiet.”

“It’s not everyday that you get a team captain from another team. He’s one of the team captains at Alaska and we welcome him open arms,” he added.

True enough, Jazul’s arrival immediately changed things the moment he showed up for practice.

“From the first day he practiced, I already saw his leadership. I knew right then and there that we will learn a lot from him through his experience,” Alolino recalled.

“He has just started training with us and he has already become a good example to the team especially to us, young players.”

It’s only been weeks since he became a Fuel Master and he won’t make his Phoenix debut until the next conference tips off next week, but Jazul said adjusting to his new team has been close to seamless due to his familiarity with some of his teammates and coaches.

Jazul played with Cyrus Baguio for four seasons with Alaska, where they won a title in the 2013 Commissioner’s Cup. Paolo Bugia, who is now the team manager for Phoenix, was teammates with Jazul for three seasons and he was also part of that Alaska championship team.

The 30-year-old Jazul also played for Tino Pinat, who was an assistant at Letran, in college. Pinat now serves as a deputy to Vanguardia, who coached against Jazul in the NCAA while he was still calling the shots for Jose Rizal University.

Vanguardia also coached Jazul at Toyota in the defunct Philippine Basketball League.

“It’s a big plus that Cyrus and I were teammates at Alaska for a long time. Phoenix is my new home, but everything doesn’t really feel new to me because there are a lot of familiar faces here,” Jazul said.

“It just makes adjusting easy unlike when you’re going to a team where you don’t know anyone and it’s hard to fit in. Here, my teammates are easy to be with and they really made me feel I’m welcome.”

But if there’s one thing Jazul needs to get used to, it’s playing heavy minutes and having a major role as Phoenix’s chief point guard.

“He will really play a big role. He will be our Cabagnot, our Chris Ross, he will be our Tenorio. He will be our stabilizer and I think this will be the first time in his pro career that he’s the main point guard,” Vanguardia said.

“I know in Alaska he plays 20 to 23 minutes, here he’ll probably play for 35 minutes. We spoke about his role and he’s up for it so far and hopefully, it will translate to the games.”

Jazul doesn’t seem pressured with his new role. He sees it as an opportunity for him to further develop.

“He told me about my role right away. But for me, the more challenging, the more you’ll grow as a player and that’s the bright side. I have the opportunity to help this team in a big way by playing a bigger role and I have to embrace my role,” he said.

“Hopefully, I can give what is expected of me and share to them what I learned at Alaska.”