SMB Jabari Narcis

This guy was amusing to watch. He was taking three point shots as if he were a better option than Marcio Lassiter, the PBA's all time leader in 3-point shots. He would also carry the ball coast-to-coast as if he were RJ Abarrientos only for it to get stolen, or lost as an error. And when he posted in the paint, he could not pivot like a natural center even though he was taller than Jun Mar Fajardo. Sure he could dunk, but that's expected when you have a guy his height. But watching him feels like San Miguel ran out of a budget to find a Professional athlete, so they opted for one from the Amateur ranks. 

But at least he has more energy than Quincy Miller. And he solves some of SMB's biggest problems right now - rebounding and defense in the paint. You'ld say, well don't they have Jun Mar? But I'm afraid Jun Mar isn't the defensive presence he used to be. And small guards easily run circles around Fajardo at this point in his career. Narcis solves that problem since Tautua and Brondial aren't defensive minded enough. And Narcis helps relieve some of the pressure on Fajardo in the paint by being another post option.

I still believe in Coach Leo Austria despite being benched for some time. I do hope he uses Rosales, Enciso, Teng as additional 3-point options. They surely would have a better shooting percentage from long range than Jabari Narcis. Even Cahilig has a better chance at making threes than Narcis. And Austria used to pride himself in establishing player roles - and Narcis is a rebounder and defender first, and probably a scoring option when no one else is open. Stop giving him point guard duties. Give him the ball when he is established inside the paint.

Pros were amateurs before they became pros. Maybe Narcis needs this experience to become one. 18 points in the last outing was decent - but with the number of attempts he had - if he made them, that SMB vs Magnolia game would have been a blowout. Let's see if he gets another chance in SMB's next game.