Meralco coach Black expects Belo to contribute right away

FILE — Mac Belo formerly playing for Blackwater Elite. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Head coach Norman Black believes newly acquired Mac Belo will be a significant contributor right away for Meralco.

The Bolts acquired the versatile forward from Blackwater last February in exchange for playmaker Baser Amer and big man Bryan Faundo.

“I’m expecting Mac Belo to come in and help us immediately,” said Black on Noli Eala’s Power & Play on Saturday. “He has already proven to be a productive player in the PBA. He’s a double-figure scorer every night and averages about eight rebounds per game

“If he can just bring that every single game, that just gives us a lot more depth particularly if we get down the stretch.”

The 6-foot-4 Belo averaged 11.4 points and 5.3 rebounds for the Elite in last year’s Philippine Cup bubble.

The addition of the former Far Eastern University star also adds depth especially to Meralco’s frontcourt.

“I think we’ll be a much deeper team and that’s where Mac Belo comes in,” said Black.

“He helps us in that frontline. We can use him as a 3-man, we can use him as a 4-man. So he gives us a lot of versatility.”

Meralco came so close to clinching its first-ever Philippine Cup Finals berth last season after the Bolts gave eventual champion Barangay Ginebra all it could in their best-of-five semifinals series that went down the wire.