Venky Jois debuts for NorthPort in the 2024 PBA Governors’ Cup. –PBA IMAGES
NorthPort is taking into consideration its familiarity and commitment in deciding to bring back Venky Jois for the PBA Governors’ Cup despite a good first impression by original pick Taylor Johns.
“Venky is our resident import,” coach Bonnie Tan said after the Batang Pier were boosted by Jois’ return and pummeled the Terrafirma Dyip, 112-93, Friday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Jois finished with 16 points, 15 rebounds and four assists to tow NorthPort to a 1-1 record in Group B of the season-opening conference. The Australian came into town days after the Batang Pier dropped their first assignment with Johns, who played well in defeat.
That is why the quick change came as a surprise to many, even though Jois, who Tan said had to skip the opener due to personal commitments, was among the standout reinforcements last season being at just 6-foot-4, six inches below the maximum height limit in the Commissioner’s Cup.
With Jois, NorthPort made the quarterfinals, only to be eliminated by Barangay Ginebra.
“We all know that he played well,” Tan said of Johns, who had 36 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists in Tuesday’s 101-95 loss to the TNT Tropang Giga. “But we already had a commitment with Venky, based on what he did last season.”
Career night
While the Batang Pier are looking for more good games from Jois, they are also quite pleased with how William Navarro played in helping hand the Dyip another frustrating setback.
Navarro scored a career-high 31 points on top of five rebounds, two assists and two steals as the Ateneo product looks to be better after his first two PBA seasons were limited due to an ACL injury in 2022.
Terrafirma fell to 0-2 as the franchise that swapped Rookie of the Year Stephen Holt and Isaac Go to Barangay Ginebra for Christian Standhardinger and Stanley Pringle once again lost by a wide margin.
The Dyip have lost those two games by a combined margin of 51 points, including the 32-point beating they got from the Converge FiberXers.
Speaking of Ginebra, coach Tim Cone’s new-look roster will finally get to see how things play out Saturday when the Gin Kings battle the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in Candon, Ilocos Sur.
Ginebra not only got Holt and Go, but also rookie RJ Abarrientos after getting Terrafirma’s third pick in last month’s Rookie Draft.
They’ll look to mesh with Ginebra’s own resident import, Justin Brownlee, who will make his PBA return after a 16-month absence.