JAI REYES
Why he’s worth the minutes: During Ateneo’s back-to-back run, the Ateneo crowd rose from their seats when someone attempted a three, then they would shout in delight when it actually goes in. Most of their three pointers came from the godly Chris Tiu, and the rest was courtesy of the Eagles’ sharp-sniping point guard, Jai Reyes. Reyes is a better baller than his height suggests, having won at every level of basketball, save for the professional ranks. He does not only have the range, he hits them when it matters the most. Most of Al-Hussaini or Baclao’s kickouts have resulted in Reyes’ threes, and he hit them in clutch moments of a game. Reyes has sound offensive fundamentals; threes aside, he can hit lay-ups and floaters with ease, mostly due to his quickness. His speed allows him to cover some of his backcourt counterparts and allows him to zoom to the other end of the court to convert steals to points.
Why he will warm the end of the bench: The biggest issue with Reyes is his lack of size, PBA guards are usually taller than his 5”7 stature. This makes him a liability on the defensive end, especially when opponents opt to use pick and rolls or switches. His height also makes it easier to shoot over him. Another issue is his lack of girth; Reyes might be the lankiest of them all in the draft. Although his heart can never be questioned, Coach Bo Perasol should be extra careful with his defensive assignments so guards like Willie Miller and Mike Cortez won’t bully his rookie too much.
The Verdict: Let Reyes play. Start the man; he has got more than enough bullets in his arm. Talk N’ Text guard Larry Fonacier was plucked from the second round, and went on to shoot triples en route to the Rookie of the Year honors; Reyes has the makings to follow a similar path. Also, the landscape for guards has changed recently, as LA Tenorio (this recent conference’s Finals MVP) has proven that smaller, quicker guards can run a PBA team, and actually win games for them. Marvin Cruz might have established himself as the team’s starter, but expect Reyes to give him a run for the starting spot. Paolo Mendoza is good only for spot-up duty, while Chico Lanete, although serviceable, still looks awkward running the point. Reyes bring to the team young blood, and will function well starting or off the bench. Bo Perasol likes solid point guards like Wynne Arboleda and Cruz, and Reyes fits the bill, minus the muscles. How he matches up with the likes of Sol Mercado remains to be seen, but it will be good to see Jainamite strutting his stuff on the court and not in game shows.
