Mario Bautista
San Miguel wanted a guy it could go to when the guards weren’t in their usual, thus the decision to switch imports in the middle of the PBA Governors’ Cup.
None other Beermen head coach Jorge Gallent said as much when asked about the reason behind bringing in Sheldon Mac to replace Jordan Adams.
“We just wanted to try a guard because sometimes, when the guards are not consistent, we could go to him,” he told Tiebreaker Times shortly after their 119-114 win over NLEX on Wednesday night at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Measured at 6’5″ 5/8 with a lean frame, Mac is listed as a shooting guard and a small forward just like Adams. But the former is also capable of playing the point, said Gallent, which should be a welcome boost to their PG rotation.
Because while there remain solid playmakers like Chris Ross, Kris Rosales, and CJ Perez, to name some, sharing duties in serving as the on-court extension of the champion mentor, the team is still missing the services of Simon Enciso.
“So a guy that can play the point guard, and can play the 2, 3, and 4. So ‘yun ‘yung factor [as to] why the coaches decided to try a new import. It’s just because of the positioning,” Gallent explained.
Mac’s guard skills could bode well defensively, too, especially when SMB goes up against the likes of Justin Brownlee and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.
Still, there remains more room for improvement for the 31-year-old in Gallent’s eyes, judging from his PBA debut against the Road Warriors.
The former NBA pro with the Washington Wizards finished with 16 points, a rebound, an assist, and a steal each in 26 minutes of play.
“Well, he was alright,” assessed Gallent.
“He was sharing the ball. And at times, when he had to play defense, he played defense.
“But he has to shoot more,” he added with a smile, as his import shot just 5-of-10 from the field. “So, I have to talk to him about that. And, I have to show him film where he can get his shots, and where we can go to his strengths.”
