Ray Parks. Photo from ASEAN Basketball League
STA. ROSA — Call it the continuing evolution of Bobby Ray Parks Jr.
The 25-year-old swingman was tested on both ends of the floor as he tried to keep up with Mono Vampire’s first-class playmaker in Jason Brickman for the first two games of the 2018 ASEAN Basketball League Finals.
“Jason Brickman is a great player,” he admitted.
Park has been taking the premier defender role all season long, testing his mettle against some of the best players in the regional league.
READ: Ray Parks is back-to-back ABL Local MVP
“Throughout the season, you can see I want that challenge of guarding the best player just to make it difficult,” he said. “At the end of the day, that’s one thing I want to grow in and that’s what I’ve known for a fact that I’ve grown more into it be cause coach Jimmy (Alapag) did a great job of pushing me to being a great two-way player. Being able to fit in to score and being able to do different things with or without the ball, he helped me get to the next level.”
Parks’ season-long efforts didn’t go in vain as the league honored him with his second ABL Local MVP award, being only the second player to achieve the feat.
More than his individual growth, what matters more for him is San Miguel Alab Pilipinas’ championship campaign.
And after the Philippine side’s 100-103 Game 2 loss to Mono Vampire, Parks is aching to get back on the floor and regain the lead for Alab Pilipinas in the best-of-five Finals series.
“We weren’t playing our style of play in the first half. In the second half, we did a better job, but with a team like that, they’ll take advantage of everything that you do wrong. One turnover, one backdoor play, one missed defensive play, they’ll take advantage of it,” said Parks, who he collected 21 points, eight rebounds, and four assists in Game 2.
“All we got to do is rest first and make adjustments. We need to figure out better defensive assignments and really bring it. We’re deep with our bench and everybody plays a part in our team. Everybody just got to bring what they can bring to the table. Whether it’s one minute, 30 minutes, we just got to bring it to the table.”
The series now shifts to Bangkok as Mono Vampire hosts San Miguel Alab Pilipinas for Game 3 at Stadium 29.