Sean Anthony leads NorthPort’s charge this time. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Robert Bolick’s 14 points in NorthPort’s second victory in the Philippine Cup were marred by seven turnovers.
To the eyes of the unindoctrinated, seven errors are a bit too much. Add the fact that Bolick’s a rookie fans the flames of that argument.
But Batang Pier coach Pido Jarencio chooses to look past that. After all, it’s just that: a stat.
“He provides that x-factor anyway,” he told the press in Filipino shortly after defeating NLEX, 95-99, in the curtain-raiser of Sunday’s PBA action at the Big Dome.
“He’s making assists, he’s defending, he’s hitting crucial shots,” Jarencio added. “He’s tough. I can’t ask for more. I just hope he becomes consistent and injury-free for the conference and the season.”
Bolick saw action for nearly 33 minutes, nearly sharing the same chunk reserved for old reliables Stanley Pringle and Sean Anthony.
And like his mentor, the third overall pick of the recent draft prefers not to dwell on a single, unpleasant facet of his performance.
“The more I commit mistakes, the more I am learning,” Bolick said in defense. “The important thing here is that I learned something and that we won. Winning makes everyone happy.”
“I’m still trying to read the game,” he said in Filipino. “At least when I re-watch the game, I could see the mistakes. Moving forward, I’ll know what to do.”
Jarencio opts to keep his faith in his new ward, saying that cashing in on Bolick would only benefit the team as a whole.
“He’s steady. He’s a really smart player,” he said. “More importantly, he listens. That’s what ’s important.”
“That’s what we need.”