His coaches were no longer surprised with his offensive outburst.
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel winger Von Pessumal had not been his usual self in the PBA On Tour as far as offense is concerned, but the coaching staff have never once lost confidence in him.
In fact, he was even in the starting lineup in Sunday’s game against the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.
The former Ateneo Blue Eagles standout repaid the team’s unwavering trust and uncorked four three-pointers on the way to 29 points in a 108-107 win against the Elasto Painters.
Coach Richard del Rosario didn’t seem surprised.
“We know the type of player that he is and it’s going to do well for him and for us moving forward,” said the assistant coach in an article on PBA’s website.
But while his offense had been suspect before the game against Rain or Shine, Pessumal does a lot more on the court outside scoring.
“He’s helping us in a lot of areas especially in rebounding,” del Rosario said of the streak shooter, who also had eight boards.
“And we’re trying to evolve his game na hindi lang siya spot-up shooter because we don’t have a post presence. So we want him to be aggressive in attacking the basket and creating for our team.”
Pessumal was the difference maker at least in the first three quarters. Then his teammates stepped up to the plate, with Jayson David scoring the back-to-back baskets that sealed the win for the crowd darlings.
(GM)