Photo by Tristan Tamayo/ INQUIRER.net
Alex Cabagnot and Chris Ross may be at joint first in the Best Player of the Conference race, but that is the least of Jayson Castro’s concerns.
Coming in as underdogs in the title clash, Castro knows that it would take more than just him to topple the San Miguel juggernaut.
“For us to beat San Miguel, we need to play as a team. We know San Miguel is powerhouse team, but we have a combination of veterans and newcomers, so I think it’s our eagerness to win a championship will be the difference-maker for us,” he said.
Lauded as the Best Point Guard in Asia for the better half of the last four years, Castro welcomes the challenge of facing the duo of Cabagnot and Ross, both of whom are having stellar showings this conference.
But he also believes that he has able bodies in Roger Pogoy, RR Garcia, and Ryan Reyes to match up against the feisty Beermen backcourt.
“I trust everyone of my teammates. Even down to (Anthony) Semerad or whoever it is that’s in the court, I trust them,” he said.
Castro, though, made it clear that he won’t hesitate to take over the game if the opportunity presents itself and if his team badly needs him to.
“Whatever the defense gives us and whatever their game plan is, that’s what I’m going to do. Anytime, I can adjust,” he said, exuding the veteran leadership the KaTropa badly need for this best-of-seven series.
“This is already my ninth year in the league and the number one goal I have is to win the championship and not my numbers.”