Kris Rosales doesn’t always play. In fact, he’ll go games at a time without seeing the floor.
Not that he minds. Whether he plays or not, Kris Rosales is always ready when his number is called by Leo Austria. For him, it’s just about accepting his job at San Miguel—and playing it to the hilt. The way he sees it, that’s exactly his job as a member of the Beermen.
“That’s been my job this entire conference or since I’ve been at San Miguel: when stuff isn’t really going right, you know, they throw me in to see if I could, you know, spark some energy or, you know, change the momentum,” said Rosales, who came off the bench in Game 5 and sparked San Miguel’s furious rally from an early double-digit deficit. “I’ve been telling myself that if that’s my role on this team, then I’ll accept it and be ready no matter what. Part of being a professional is just being ready when your number is called.”
He was ready in Game 5, firing 12 points on 5-for-8 shooting and adding 4 assists, plus plenty of intense, in-your-face defense and all-out hustle.
Kris Rosales, Professional Through and Through
The idea of staying ready has become a cliché for every bench player who’s come up big for their team. But in the case of Kris Rosales, it really does apply.
Rosales has logged four DNPs already this conference and was playing less than 10 minutes a game prior to Game 5 on Friday. And yet, when his number was called, he proved to be a difference-maker. That shouldn’t be a surprise because the Fil-Am guard is always doing extra work, with an eye toward making whatever minutes he gets count.
“I haven’t been playing a lot in the playoffs, but I told myself that I’m going to continue to get my extra work in, lift my weights. And when the time comes, I’ll just be ready,” he added.
After his solid Game 5, there’s no guarantee Kris Rosales will get substantial minutes again in Game 6. But he’ll be ready just in case.
