The Meralco Bolts are on the cusp of a top-four finish in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup and the win-once edge that comes with it. A big reason they’re even in this position has been import Marvin Jones, who tallied another double-double in Meralco’s 108-93 victory over the Blackwater Bossing on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
After the game, veteran guard Chris Banchero, who’s one of the few Bolts with a championship to his name, was effusive in his praise of Jones, whom he described as “a championship-caliber import.”
“I’ve been playing for a very long time, and I know when you have a championship-caliber import, and he’s one of those,” Banchero told reporters on Sunday night. “We don’t wanna waste this chance. He fits in seamlessly into our offense, and he doesn’t demand the ball, and he kinda does just a little bit of everything, and [is] extremely professional.”
Curiously, Banchero isn’t the first to call Marvin Jones “professional,” as coach Luigi Trillo also described the veteran big man as “very professional” earlier in the conference after he led Meralco to a victory over the Macau Black Knights.
Marvin Jones, a Professional Big
A late replacement for Ismael Romero, Marvin Jones has played in all of the Bolts’ 10 games, putting up per-game averages of 24.1 points, 12.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.7 steal, and 0.8 block. He’s also shooting 56.7% overall and 34.2% from deep, proving that he can do as much damage outside as he can inside.
Importantly, Jones has been a pillar of consistency for Meralco, posting double-doubles routinely without demanding that the offense go through him most of the time. Instead, he has played within the Bolts’ offense while anchoring its defense—no doubt a winning combination that has pushed Meralco closer to its goal of finishing in the top four after the eliminations.
Naturally, Banchero wouldn’t want the Bolts to waste this opportunity to play with a reinforcement of this caliber, which is why he wants Meralco to finish strong.
The Bolts will play the Terrafirma Dyip next on May 8 and the Magnolia Hotshots on May 10.
If Banchero is right about Marvin Jones, expect him to play a major role in both games—that’s what championship-caliber imports do.
