Blackwater guard Mike Ayonayon. MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—Mike Ayonayon doesn’t usually get many minutes with the Blackwater Bossing.
But when called upon, Ayonayon makes sure he delivers for his team.
“Mike is always ready and he’s very selfless enough to understand that sometimes he won’t play but when he’s called upon he’s going to deliver for sure,” acting coach Joe Silva said after Blackwater’s 92-90 win over Phoenix at Ynares Sports Center, Pasig, on Sunday.
Only averaging 5.3 points per outing, Ayonayon answered the call for the Bossing in the second half and exploded for 13 points.
Ayonayon had an efficient night with a 62 percent clip from the field, including 3-of-4 from the three-point line.
For Silva, Ayonayon perfectly personified the exact mindset that he wants out of his wards, which is to get contributions from the next man up.
“That’s what we want [from him]. Our mentality is next man up, whoever we put in can contribute or shine, so that’s the mentality we’re trying to develop,” the stand-in coach explained.
The 30-year-old guard is averaging only 13 minutes a night prior to the game against Phoenix where he logged 19 minutes.
Silva, however, could see Ayonayon playing more especially if he continues to provide solid numbers.
“Hopefully [he plays more]. It’s really hard to balance minutes for 15 or 16 players but yes we’ll reward him for that performance.”