Jayson Castro. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/ INQUIRER.net
Scoring only two points in Gilas Pilipinas’ first two games in the 2017 Seaba Championship, Jayson Castro said he’s taking the back seat to allow the new players get their needed exposure and experience.
“That’s really the case. We know that when it’s already Fiba Asia, we need to play as a team and our opponents there are already on our level. The scouting and the defense there is really different so we have to take advantage of this and I want to show the new guys how the system is ran,” he said.
Castro, though, saw many opportunities to score on Sunday and he could no longer pass up on the great looks.
As a result, Castro finished with 10 points, four rebounds, and three assists in the Philippines’ 106-51 win over Malaysia.
“Those were wide open shots,” Castro said with a chuckle.
Despite racking up his best statline to date, Castro made it clear that he’s still willing to guide the newcomers in the coming games.
He also indicated that he has no problem handing the playmaking duties to Jio Jalalon, who is currently leading the tournament in assists averaging six per game through Gilas’ first three outings.
“We know what Jio can bring, at the same time, he’s fit with the dribble-drive system. On defense, he can press from court-to-court, so I hope his play continues,” he said.
Castro is also being more of a mentor to Jalalon.
“I’m just giving him tips. I tell him that when he has the ball, he should also mull on taking his shots so that he could keep the defense guessing,” he said.
Though Castro said that it’s still a weird feeling for him being one of the elder statesmen, that didn’t keep him from embracing his new role.
“Before, I still wasn’t the oldest here, but now, I am. I’m one of the veterans so I have to guide them and teach them the things they need to know for us to prepare in our future games,” he said.