CJ Perez (right) forces his way through Blackwater’s Will McAloney. —PBA IMAGES.
CJ Perez was all over San Miguel’s 107-88 blowout of Blackwater on Saturday night for a victory that enabled the Beermen to get a streak going in the season-ending Governors’ Cup, ably filling in for the absent Chris Ross in the playmaking and the scoring hole created when Alex Cabagnot was traded.
The two-time league scoring champion put up a game-high 21 points, while adding six rebounds and four assists, but Perez insists his performance was borne out of necessity, especially at a time when Ross, San Miguel’s foremost playmaker, has yet to join the team in the PBA Governors’ Cup.
“It all boils down to effort, really. Of course, while [Chris Ross] is out, we’re all simply fulfilling our roles,” he said.
Ross is currently in the United States, still grieving the passing of his father, and San Miguel management still cannot not provide a definitive timetable as to when the defensive ace will rejoin the team.
Perez figured a capable facilitator as well, finding San Miguel newcomer Simon Enciso in several plays and eventually enabling the latter to break out of a personal slump.
All about trust
Enciso is the player the Beermen got for shipping Cabagnot to Terrafirma.
“The whole team is still adjusting [with the presence of our new players], and we know how C-Ross’ means to this team—he facilitates, he sorts things out. So we have to cover those while he’s out,” the spitfire guard said.
Perez, who was acquired by the dynastic franchise in a shock trade in February, is averaging 13.5 points, 6.75 rebounds and 1.75 assists over the course of four games, picking up where he left off in the Philippine Cup, where he was an undeniable contributor despite San Miguel’s abundance of weapons.
“It’s all about the trust of coaches and my teammates give me,” he said. “The adjustment was hardly an issue since they were quick to put their trust in me.
“They keep on telling me to just do what I could and play the game the way I know how to play it,” he went on.
Perez has since proven he fits well into Leo Austria’s system, but he knows that he has still ways to go. “The challenge now is to to stay confident and to sustain this way of play,” he added.