Player of the Week July 11 to 17
TO say LA Tenorio is the barometer for the Alaska Aces is not an overstatement, for no less than
coach Tim Cone declares it to be so.
“No doubt, LA is our leader on the floor,” said Cone of his heady playmaker who led Alaska’s
charge in back-to-back wins and into the semifinals of the PBA Governors Cup, making him the
unanimous choice as Accel-PBA Press Corps’ Player of the Week for the period July 11 to 17.
Tenorio proved this by averaging 18.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists in victories over Rain or
Shine and Barangay Ginebra. Those numbers are marked improvements to his first six games in the
season-ending tourney, when he was norming 11 points and 4.3 rebounds.
The 27-year-old simply explains the improvements to his game by saying new acquisitions Jayr Reyes,
Wesley Gonzales, Hans Thiele and Aris Dimaunahan have fully incorporated themselves into the system.
“I think our team is starting to understand the system. In the first few games inconsistent kami
kasi nangangapa pa kami sa isa’t-isa. Now medyo nakukuha na namin ang rhythm namin at hopefully
tuloy-tuloy na,” said Tenorio.
The fact that the right elbow injury that bothered him even before the tourney started has had time
to heal also helped.
“That affected my game din siguro. Malaking factor ‘yung nag-re-recover na injury ko,” he
stated.
That was first evidenced in the week before, when he notched 20 rebounds, six rebounds and six
assists in a win over Powerade, but fully unveiled in the match against Rain or Shine last
Wednesday.
Tenorio highlighted a 22-point, eight-rebound performance with two clutch triples in the last 63
seconds of the third period that broke Alaska away from a four-point game and into a cruising 88-83
triumph.
Import Jason Forte notched his first 20-20 game with 24 points and 20 rebounds in a tighter 83-79
victory against Ginebra last Saturday but Tenorio was not too far behind, his 15 points being the
lone double-digit output by a local Ace.
Those victories gave the Aces a 5-3 win-loss record they will carry over into the six-team, single
round semis, where Cone expects Tenorio to continue sparking his teammates to greater heights.
“He won’t be intimidated by anybody or any situation and that attitude rubs off on his
teammates, which, in turn, makes us strong mentally. His presence gives us a chance to be an elite
team in the PBA,” stated Cone. (NC)
Player Of The Week
