PBA: 'Resident import' Venky Jois eager to settle unfinished business with NorthPort

Wondering why NorthPort switched imports one game into the PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup?

The Batang Pier on Thursday, August 22, announced that they are letting go of Taylor Johns even after a 36-point, 16-rebound, and nine-assist performance in a 101-95 loss to TNT in their first game of the season.

Enter a familiar import in Venky Jois as replacement.

But while many thought Jois was the backup import, NorthPort coach Bonnie Tan bared on Friday, August 23, that it was actually the other way around.

“Venky is our resident import, so in terms of familiarity with our locals andun na sya. Hindi lang sya umabot nung first game namin but he was here already,” Tan said. 

“He had some personal commitments lang kaya we had yung back up important namin si Taylor Johns.”

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Jois reinforced the Batang Pier in last season’s Commissioner’s Cup. Although undersized in the conference where the height limit was 6-foot-10, he still averaged 23.9 points, 15.1 rebounds, and 5.6 assists, 2.3 blocks, and 1.8 steals.

“We know he (Johns) played well, but we had a commitment with Venky based on our last conference. We just discussed mga lapses namin during the latter part of that conference which he agreed also. Nagkaron ng mutual understanding that he will be back as our resident import,” Tan added.

For his part, Jois simply wants to continue what he and the Batang Pier have developed the past season and see if it could result in better results. With Jois, the Batang Pier made the playoffs as the no. 6 seed but lost to Ginebra in the quarterfinals.

“I think just from last season, like, we had an unexpectedly good season for us. Good chemistry with the guys,” he said.

“I feel like we developed something. We were developing something pretty special. I think it’s just one of those things where you’ve got the same core, [you] keep that [for] contintuation. We’ve been in touch for a little while and we try to make it happen.”

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In his first game back with NorthPort, Jois turned in a double-double outing with 16 points and 15 rebounds on top of six assists, a steal, and a block in a 112-93 win over Terrafirma.

Jois is expected to take the same major role anew when the Batang Pier tackle Converge on Thursday, August 29 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.