By JONAS TERRADO
The Alaska Aces felt like they had hit the jackpot in late-October when they were able to select Jeron Teng as the fifth overall pick in the PBA Rookie Draft despite chances by other teams ahead of them to select the former La Salle star.
Two months later, Aces coach Alex Compton and his team are reaping the rewards despite losing their first two games in the PBA Philippine Cup.
“We got a gem,” Compton said after Alaska’s 106-98 loss to TNT KaTropa Friday at the Cuneta Astrodome in a game that saw Teng scoring 28 points in just his second game as a pro.
With San Miguel getting Christian Standhardinger, NLEX settling for Kiefer Ravena and Blackwater and Phoenix opting to fill their pressing needs for a big man in Raymar Jose and Jason Perkins, Alaska didn’t think twice in choosing Teng at No. 5 to kickstart Alaska’s bid to improve from a disastrous campaign last season.
It didn’t take long for Teng to show his readiness to play against the big boys, scoring 16 points in the 108-95 defeat to Magnolia at the Filoil Flying V Centre last Dec. 20.
But against TNT, Teng hinted of the big possibilities, showcasing the form that made him a two-time UAAP Finals Most Valuable Player and a standout performer in the PBA D-League last season.
Teng went 10-of-18 from the field, grabbed 10 rebounds to complete a first career double-double while adding four steals in 30 minutes, leaving Compton to speak highly of his new player in great detail.
“Jeron’s been great. He’s a winner, he’s tough, he’s coachable,” Compton said. “I think all of us coaches, one of our pet peeves are when young players think they’re king of the world because they had a decent college career and they think that they’re all this and all that.
“Jeron actually had an awesome college career, he’d had an awesome high school career and he’s humble and coachable. And more than his 28 points and 10 rebounds, his toughness,” added Compton. “I think his parents (former PBA player Alvin Teng and Susan Teng) should be congratulated the way they raised him because he’s a good coachable kid.”
With his impressive showing in the last game also comes bigger expectations which Compton is fully aware of.