Rain or Shine import Demetrius Treadwell.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—It’s no secret that a big reason for Rain or Shine’s resurgence in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup has been the arrival of Demetrius Treadwell.
Treadwell was tapped by the Elasto Painters midway through the conference following a 0-4 start with their previous import DaJuan Summers.
Since bringing in Treadwell, Rain or Shine is 6-1 riding a six-game streak following a 112-111 victory over Converge on Sunday.
“We’re here because we got the right import. With our first import, he was more of an outside threat. Most likely, 10 or 12 shots from outside were from him but coach got an inside operator so our locals can shoot outside more,” said Rain or Shine big man Beau Belga in Filipino.
“Tree (Treadwell) can dominate inside. He’s strong. He can make everyone commit [on defense]. Sometimes, he can just shoot it but he’ll still kick it out. We found the import that really fits our first game,” added Belga, who finished with 19 points and four rebounds against the FiberXers.
Like Belga, Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao said Treadwell may not be the usual high-scoring import but he doesn’t need to be. What’s important is he gets the job done which has led to the Elasto Painters’ resurgence just in time for the playoffs.
Demetrius Treadwell.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
“With Tree, you can’t expect him to score 30 or 40. He’s a different kind of import but he surely can help and it works well for us because it gives our locals some responsibility to work on their own. That’s important for the playoffs,” said Guiao.
“He’s not a heavy scorer and he’s not flashy. I would’ve wanted someone who has outside shooting but it’s still good for me that he doesn’t have an outside game as long he’s very dominant in the paint.”
Sunday was another example of how Treadwell impacts Rain or Shine’s success.
Focusing on his strengths, Treadwell finished with 21 points, 17 rebounds and eight assists. He did not attempt a single 3-pointer and all of his points came inside the paint.
Treadwell is averaging 19.3 points and 18.3 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game.