Isaac Go. PBA IMAGES
MANILA, Philippines-Isaac Go could be forgiven for being satisfied with the solid performances he has put in the PBA On Tour, given the long layoff the young Terrafirma center missed due to an ACL injury.
But Go rather aspires to be better than he was before breaking his knee in a June 2022 game, even aiming to meet numbers to gauge where his progress is.
“I lost a couple of pounds, but I still want to lose more,” Go said. “My shots aren’t as good as the other players, but I have to get at least 40 percent from threes and average like five offensive rebounds.
“That’s right now super unattainable, but that’s the achievement you have to set. You have to get that fitness level so that you can compete night in and night out,” added the 6-foot-7 cager known for being a solid hitter at the perimeter while and key cog on the Dyip frontline.
The former top pick of the special round for members of the Gilas Pilipinas pool in the 2019 Draft has used the preseason tilt in hopes of achieving those targets after missing all but two matches in the 2022-23 season.
Go has produced solid numbers of 9.8 points and 5.6 rebounds after eight On Tour outings, with a shooting clip of 31 percent from beyond the arc and 2.3 offensive rebounds.
But there seems to be an effort from Go to also enhance his inside, as seen the previous Sunday when Terrafirma fell short to NorthPort at Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.
During the fourth quarter, the Dyip twice dumped it in to Go in the shaded lane and was able to muscle his way to the basket both times against veteran Arwind Santos, one of the league’s premier defenders.
“At first, I was groping for form, even in terms of trying to read the game,” he said. “But I think it’s been better. I’m starting to be more aggressive, I’m starting to make shots.
“It’s just nice to be out there and just to be with everybody who you would go into battle, which was something I deeply missed during my rehab process.”
Terrafirma won three of nine games in the exhibition tour with two to play against shorthanded San Miguel Beer on Sunday at Filoil Ecooil Centre in San Juan City and Magnolia on July 26 at the same venue.