Ross sets focus on how to stop ‘Blur’

Chris Ross. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/ INQUIRER.net

Chris Ross prides himself in being a really serious student of basketball. And considering how he has shut down Asia’s best point guard in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals between his San Miguel Beermen and the TNT KaTropa Texters, it wasn’t hard to figure out what—or who—his favorite subject is.

A recent winner of his first Best Player of the Conference award, Ross has been particularly proud of accomplishing something practically no one in the league can speak of, and that is containing Jason Castro when it matters.

His success is a product of hard work—a lot of it.

“I break down his game by watching tapes of all of his games,” Ross, in a very gentlemanly manner, said after a 111-102 Game 5 triumph that put the Beermen within a win of the championship on Friday night. “I’m a student of the game and I study everything.”

Castro, to say the very least, has struggled big time in the best-of-seven series, committing 10 turnovers in Game 3 and held to human-like numbers on offense, all because of Ross’ efforts.

“I’ve come to understand his (Castro’s) strengths and weaknesses and I break down all of that before going to the games [against him],” Ross said. “I try to find out what he loves doing in situations.”

Ross knows that the Texters and Castro, known as “The Blur” for his quickness, will be bouncing back and that the Beermen’s job is not done until they nail that fourth win.

So when asked if he could break down Castro’s game for the Inquirer, he came up with a wide smile and in his same gentle voice, said: “I’ll tell you when we both retire.”

Otherwise, the secret to stopping Castro is all in Ross’ head and all the other defenders who would want to have even the same measure of success against the TNT superstar would have to put in the work themselves.