Photo by Tristan Tamayo/ INQUIRER.net
San Miguel swingman Marcio Lassiter has long proven his shooter label, with a 39.9 percent shooting clip from deep his first five seasons, but on Wednesday he showed that he is more than that.
Lassiter filled up the stat sheets with 21 points, six rebounds, four assists, and eight steals, which was the best way to tell people that he is as a two-way player.
“I’ve always known I can play defense, it’s one of my calling cards and I’ve been doing it my whole career,” said Lassiter after the Beermen’s 124-113 victory over Blackwater in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at Cuneta Astrodome.
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“I’m just playing the passing lanes, and I was just being active, and just reading what the defense was giving,”
Lassiter, prior to their game against the Elite, was averaging 1.40 steals a game and had a streak of two games with at least two steals a game.
After their win over the Elite, Lassiter now averages two swipes a game.
“Sometimes my offense doesn’t show up,” said Lassiter who went 2-of-9 from deep. “And [playing defense] is one of the first things they know about me, but it’s always good to do both.”
And Lassiter is also willing to bring his three-and-D style of play to the national team once the officials start calling.
Lassiter has worn the tricolor several times in his career and he’s willing to do it again if given the chance.
“Being a three-and-D player, and having multiple dimensions to your game, it helps a lot,” said Lassiter. “If they ever call again, I’m always available.”