Jabari Narcis tasted his first PBA win on Sunday, helping the San Miguel Beermen outlast the Magnolia Hotshots, 85-77, to climb to 4-4. And Narcis certainly helped the Beermen’s cause, scoring 18 points and grabbing 23 boards in the tight contest.
Despite his monster double-double against Magnolia, Narcis has largely failed to impress in previous games, mostly looking out of sorts and struggling to find a groove next to June Mar Fajardo. In fact, some San Miguel fans have taken to social media to call on the team to replace the 6-foot-9 big.
Well, it looks like coach Leo Austria and the Beermen are sticking with their embattled import—at least for now. For Austria, the key is getting Narcis fully healthy and adjusted to Filipino hoops.
“His game is just average, but we’re expecting him to step up,” Austria told reporters in the postgame presser after San Miguel’s win over Magnolia. “We understand his situation right now. What’s our concern is his health. He’s really adjusting to the kind of game we have, especially the brand of Filipino basketball. It’s really physical, but that’s the way it is. We’re expecting him to figure it out.”
San Miguel Braces for Tough Windup to the Elimination Round
San Miguel will next face the Meralco Bolts (January 18), NorthPort Batang Pier (January 21), Converge FiberXers (January 24), and TNT Tropang Giga (January 26). This killer eight-day stretch will likely determine whether the Beermen will make the playoffs or not, which is why they will need Narcis to be at his very best. Austria himself made that clear.
“We need him,” Austria emphasized. “The import is always somebody na the players are looking up to. He could inspire the team, so we’re expecting him next game to step up.”
The good thing is Narcis will have about a week to figure things out and get healthy.
