Ginebra guard Von Pessumal, right, talks to Ginebra assistant coach Richard del Rosario during a preseason game against Rain or Shine. MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—Moved to the starting lineup, Von Pessumal showed his worth and led Barangay Ginebra to victory on Sunday in the PBA On Tour.
Pessumal, who usually comes off the bench for the Gin Kings, got the starting nod from assistant coach Richard Del Rosario in the squad’s 108-107 victory over Rain or Shine—a move that worked wonders for the Commissioners’ Cup champions.
“I purposely started Von because I wanted to give him confidence,” Del Rosario said. “This is part of Von’s growth in his game and I’m happy he responded. We never lost confidence and trust in Von, we know the kind of player he is.”
Pessumal only averages 7.8 points and 3.4 rebounds per game in just 23 minutes of action in the preseason but he played 38 minutes on Sunday and recorded a game-high 29 points to go along with seven rebounds.
Despite the stellar outing, however, Del Rosario clarified that Pessumal is still a work in progress.
Del Rosario said Ginebra is still trying to “evolve” Pessumal’s style of play to fit into the Gin Kings’ system better when the real season begins.
“We’re trying to evolve his game so he’s not just a spot-up shooter because we don’t have a post presence [for now]… we want him to be aggressive in attacking the basket and creating [space] for our team,” said Del Rosario, who guided the Gin Kings to their second straight win for a 3-3 record in the preseason.