He’s got more to learn

Coach Chot Reyes believes Bol Bol (left) can be even better on defense despite already providing TNT with a shot-blocking presence. --PBA IMAGES

Bol Bol responded after an off-night—by his standards—and led TNT to a bounce-back victory in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup on Saturday.

He finished with 35 points, 14 rebounds, two assists and four blocks in a 101-89 victory over skidding Terrafirma on Saturday.

That stat sheet-filling effort wasn’t enough to satisfy coach Chot Reyes.

“He still has a lot to work on with him, defensively,” Reyes said after the contest held at Ninoy Aquino Stadium, where Bol wowed a crowd that would roar in approval with every dunk or blocked shot he added to his name.

His performance comes on the heels of TBT’s 110-106 defeat to the Meralco Bolts, where Bol had 28 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks while dealing with food poisoning.

“He gives us that shot-blocking presence, but he still has way too many lapses on defense. Not getting his man, not sprinting back in position, not calling out screens for his teammates,” added Reyes, who is still trying to get Bol accustomed to the way the game is played here.

Bol skipped yet another postgame conference—he had been warned by the PBA about similar actions—but RFeyes belied suggestions that the highly-touted import may be a head case.

“He’s very open to suggestions and he’s very open to coaching,” Reyes said.

“He missed one practice when he had food poisoning before our Meralco game. But other than that, he hasn’t missed any practice. He hasn’t been a problem and he’s always telling his teammates ‘If you see me doing something wrong, let me know. Tell me, tell me.’ So he’s very open to coaching and communication with his teammates.

“But that being said, there’s still a lot for him to learn,” Reyes concluded.

The learning curve continues for Bol on Tuesday when the Tropang 5G face a Blackwater Bossing squad that underwent a coaching change with Jeffrey Cariaso agreeing to part ways and former national women’s team mentor Pat Aquino taking over on an interim basis.

The coaching shuffle at Blackwater is the latest in a busy stretch in the league, which includes Friday’s thriller at Mall of Asia Arena that saw Barangay Ginebra surviving Magnolia, 91-89, for a 3-2 slate.

Scottie Thompson’s inbound allowed a cutting RJ Abarrientos to convert the winning layup. Magnolia’s attempt to turn the game around in the ensuing play resulted in a turnover from a charging Jerom Lastimosa.

Ginebra will try to win back-to-back games for the first time this conference when it meets Phoenix on Sunday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Magnolia, now at 2-4, takes on another sister team in San Miguel Beer, also coming off a defeat to unbeaten Rain or Shine, in the 5:15 p.m. opener.