San Miguel import Devon Scott. –PBA IMAGES
Devon Scott is known within the San Miguel Beer camp as one of the early birds in practice. But that, he said in jest, couldn’t translate into improving one aspect of his game.
“I take all those extra shots and I can’t make any jump shots in the game. It’s killing me,” Scott said three games into his role as the import sparking the Beermen’s turnaround from an alarming start in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
“I come about 30 or 40 minutes early, shooting all those shots. But for no reason, in the game, I can’t buy a jumper. [But] it’s okay, they will drop,” added Scott.
His two of 14 clip outside the shaded lane does not take away what Scott by large has contributed to the team that, following a successful run to the Philippine Cup title, struggled with injuries to key players.
At 3-3, Scott and the Beermen hope to build momentum late in the eliminations even if they are up against teams that are either the traditional championship contenders or those currently on a winning run.
San Miguel battles Barangay Ginebra on Sunday, Magnolia on Nov. 16, Phoenix on Nov. 19, before a Terrafirma encounter on Nov. 23 serves as a perceived light workout ahead of the Nov. 26 clash with TNT—a rematch of the Philippine Cup Finals.
“You can see in the standings that things are scrambled,” said coach Leo Austria, whose team is in sixth, trailing guest team Bay Area (6-1), Magnolia (5-1), Converge (5-2), Ginebra (4-2) and Phoenix (5-3).
Below San Miguel are NLEX (3-3), TNT (3-4), Rain or Shine (3-4), NorthPort (3-4), Blackwater (3-5), Meralco (1-5) and winless Terrafirma (0-7).
Improved showing
The last two games have seen Scott produce back-to-back outputs of at least 25 points, 10 rebounds and six assists as San Miguel prevailed over NLEX and NorthPort.
It was an improved showing after an okay debut as replacement for Diamond Stone where he ended up with 16 points, 15 rebounds and six assists and a 106-102 loss to Converge that sent San Miguel down to 1-3 (win-loss).
“I’m definitely well-acclimated now,” he said. “After the first game, I was really trying to figure out what my role was with the team exactly, where I fit in with the playing style with everyone, but I’m fine now.
“We’ve had plenty of time to practice and we played three tough games. So if you’re not ready by now, you’re not going to be ready,” the 28-year-old added.
“We’re happy with him because since [his first game], he has improved a lot,” Austria said. “And every practice, you can see that he’s always early and taking some shots, that means he’s really determined to help the team.”
That’s why Austria, as much as he wants Scott to improve his midrange shooting, is keeping a patient approach, confident things will get better.
“It will come. It will come,” the Beermen mentor said. INQ