Jan 20, 2021

Perez says its team first more than individual honor

CJ Perez doesn't mind ending up empty-handed in the last PBA Special Awards Night.

For him, it's still team above everything else.

The 27-year-old wingman stressed lifting Terrafirma out of the doldrums remains his foremost goal over individual honors especially after another failed season for the franchise in the last Philippine Cup bubble.

The 2019 Rookie of the Year again emerged as the league's scoring champion after averaging 24.4 points in 11 games with the Dyip and was a top candidate for the Best Player of the Conference Award won by Barangay Ginebra's Stanley Pringle.

But the Dyip failed to make the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year and ended up with a 1-10 (win-loss) record in Perez's second season with the franchise.

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The situation, according to the one-time NCAA MVP out of Lyceum, is what needs focal attention heading to the new season.

"Hindi ako nasa-satisfy (on awards), kasi mas more on sa wins talaga yung nasa isip ko," Perez admitted in The Game on One Sports.

As the top player of Terrafirma, Perez said everything should begin in him.

"Marami akong kailangang i-improve as a leader," he said. "Kailangan ko maging vocal pa sa mga teammates ko, and yung communication sa mga coaches din."

But the entire Dyip also have to do its share.

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"Doon kami sa endgame nadadale lagi. Siguro lack of experience, or minsan naso-short kami sa effort sa fourth quarter," said Perez. "Siguro yun ang kailangan naming i-improve, yung tapusin yung laro hanggang fourth quarter." (RG)