The adage “desperate times call for desperate measures” appears applicable to the Meralco Bolts at this point—this after the Bolts made a late and sudden import switch, letting go of Marvin Jones in lieu of Patrick Gardner.
Jones played in all of Meralco’s 17 games in this PBA Commissioner’s Cup, putting up respectable numbers of 21.9 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists on 53.7% shooting overall. However, in three games against the TNT Tropang 5G in the semis, Jones couldn’t elevate his game, averaging just 20.0 points to go along with 14.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.3 turnovers. He also shot just 42% from the field and couldn’t take over down the stretch—even without Bol Bol in Games 2 and 3.
Enter Patrick Gardner
Taking Jones’s place in Meralco will be Patrick Gardner, a 6-foot-11 American-Egyptian who recently suited up for the Fukushima Firebonds in the Japanese B.League. Across 61 games for the Firebonds, Gardner normed 17.2 points and 7.1 rebounds a game, showing a deft touch both inside and out, good athleticism, and superb mobility. Fukushima itself announced Gardner’s Meralco detour in a social media post announcing his return to the team for next season.
Notably for the Bolts, Patrick Gardner won’t be a first-timer in Manila as he has prior experience playing in the Philippines already. That happened in 2023, when Gardner played five FIBA World Cup games—three in the group stage and two in the classification round—at the SM Mall of Asia Arena as part of the Egyptian national team. He averaged 8.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in that World Cup. He also helped Egypt notch its first World Cup win in 29 years with a sterling 20-point output in a 100-72 victory against Mexico.
Needless to say, Patrick Gardner brings impressive credentials to a Meralco team in search of a spark. Whether he proves to be a game-changer is an entirely different story. But fans will know soon enough.
