Jazul, Reyes feel their way around their new teams
MANILA—Newcomers RJ Jazul and Jai Reyes got the one thing that rookies hope for when their teams make their PBA season debuts—a chance to test the waters. And immediately, they found proof that the brand of play in the PBA is, indeed, a stark contrast from what they were used to in college. “I miss playing in the UAAP. It’s very different here in the PBA,” said former Ateneo guard and UAAP rookie of the year Reyes, who made an eleven-minute appearance Wednesday with Powerade, which opened the season with a 111-103 surprise over Rain or Shine. At five-foot-seven, Reyes realized this wasn’t the perfect time to be a wet-behind-the-ears small man as the league had just shifted to a new philosophy on fouls: “No harm, no foul.” “The toughest part is adjusting to the physicality of the game,” shared the eighteenth overall pick, who was part of Ateneo’s back-to-back championship in the UAAP. The good thing for Reyes, though, is he is joining a Powerade squad that is also in the midst of a philosophy change—The newly-reformatted Tigers, want to run in the post-Asi Taulava era and and the rookie’s hyperactive style of play perfectly fits the squad’s new ideology. “I’m glad that Coach Bo (Perasol) is giving me playing time,” said Reyes. “At this point, there’s not a lot of pressure because I’m just a rookie.” But for Jazul, who was pretty much enveloped in pressure during his Letran days, trying to work his way into a rotation that features players he admires makes things even tougher. “It’s adds up to the pressure when you’re trying to level up with the players who I used to just watch play on TV,” he shared. Jazul scored on a triple in his fourteen-minute debut with Rain or Shine, a squad that has a glut of sweet shooters like Jeff Chan, TY Tang and Ryan Araña in their relatively young squad. “Coach Caloy (Garcia) is giving us equal chances and the opportunity to play our personal style,” said the 15th overall draft pick, who brought the Knights to the Final Four during his entire stint with the squad. Jazul said that has been getting mentoring from Tang, who himself knocked down numerous daggers with Rain or Shine and with La Salle in his college days. “I’m very okay with my teammates,” said Jazul, who revealed jokingly that he had already shared the microphone with his teammates in a karaoke showdown before the season started—but not as part of a rookie initiation, he added while laughing. Jazul said he doesn’t expect to crack the rotation regularly, especially with the Painters’ backcourt pretty much set. But with Sol Mercado up for a national team call-up, he might just end up getting valuable minutes. “Basketball is really all about timing,” he said.
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