Photo by Tristan Tamayo/ INQUIRER.net
Despite nearly posting a double-double, Jason Perkins was far from satisfied with how he fared in his PBA debut.
“It wasn’t good. It wasn’t as good as I would’ve liked to play. But it doesn’t really matter how I played, we ended up losing. It’s about wins and losses,” Perkins, the Phoenix rookie, said moments after the Fuel Masters’ 96-104 defeat to San Miguel in the opening game of the 2018 PBA Philippine Cup on Sunday.
Perkins tried to hold his own against the Beermen big men, with him designated to matchup against former MVP Arwind Santos through the course of the game. Despite the size disadvantage, the former La Salle bruiser was able to rack up 10 points, nine rebounds, two assists, and a steal.
However, his foul woes kept him on the bench for an extended amount of time, something coach Louie Alas noted that the prized forward should learn to manage in the coming games.
“He can do a lot better. His mistakes in the preseason, which is the early fouls, happened to him again. He need to adjust to the officiating because the referees won’t adjust to him,” Alas said.
Perkins admits that coming to the game, he expected an outing as tough as this. But he knows that it doesn’t get easier from here knowing the heightened level of competition in the pro league.
“It wasn’t a surprise. I was well aware that I was playing with smart players, both in our team and San Miguel’s team. All the players in the PBA, their IQ is a lot higher than it was in college, so it’s not a surprise to me,” said the fourth overall pick in the 2017 PBA Rookie Draft.
With his first PBA game out of the way, Perkins vowed to perform better in the next games as he takes a bit of a breather before he and the rest of the Fuel Masters return to action on December 27 against Kia.
“I’m gonna play a lot better. I’m gonna work a lot harder. My IQ is gonna be higher next game. I’m gonna study the game a lot more,” he said. “Hopefully, I’m gonna keep getting better every game and keep progressing.”