Photo by Tristan Tamayo/ INQUIRER.net
Is it time for Tey Teodoro to embrace more of a playmaking role rather than just be Jose Rizal U’s go-to scorer?
If coach Vergel Meneses would have his way, he’d love to see that shift , especially with how the the fourth-year gunner has struggled this NCAA Season 93.
“I told him that he should be able to play and adapt on what’s beneficial for the team. He should play with a goal that he wants to involve his teammates,” the mentor said in Filipino.
Meneses went as far as wishing Teodoro to emulate a former NCAA rival in Jio Jalalon. “He should be like Jalalon who is a facilitator and who makes his teammates better.”
Teodoro has been averaging 13.2 points on a 30.4-percent from three, on top of 3.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists this season.
Things didn’t get better on Friday in the Heavy Bombers’ 81-53 rout of St. Benilde, with the prized gunslinger mustering 13 points on a 3-of-5 sniping but failing to dish any dimes in the win.
Luckily, Meneses was able to draw valuable contributions from the likes of Ervin Grospe, Jed Mendoza, MJ Dela Virgen, and Gio Lasquety.
“I gave the others chance and good things happened for the team,” he said after JRU racked its first winning streak of the season and improved to 4-3. “You can see the talent of Grospe and Mendoza. So it’s a challenge for Tey to make his teammates better.”
With two more games before the end of the first round, the PBA legend is just being patient as he hopes to turn Teodoro to the playmaker role he’s envisioning him to be for the benefit of the squad.
“I’m here to guide him. That’s the job of a coach. Whatever the player’s weaknesses are, I have to tell it to him and help him improve on that. That’s my role,” said Meneses.