Rondae Hollis-Jefferson couldn’t wait to start working alongside Justin Brownlee as the two rivals will try to maximize all their talent in hopes of putting Meralco in a position to contend in the East Asia Super League (EASL).
‘JB’s not here yet, but I look forward to when he comes and joins us,’ Hollis-Jefferson said after attending the PBA Press Corps Annual Awards on Monday at Novotel Manila in Cubao, Quezon City to join TNT in receiving the Game of the Season plum.
Brownlee is set to arrive soon to join Hollis-Jefferson and the Bolts in their buildup for the EASL, which will see the lone PBA representative take on the Macau Black Bears, Taiwan’s Taoyuan Pilots and Japan’s Ryukyu Golden Kings in Group B.
Meralco will be seeking a top two finish in its quest to join the six-team postseason.
And the Bolts are banking on the duo of Holls-Jefferson and Brownlee, who fought threes in the PBA Finals, to finally get their chance at getting past the group stage after failed attempts the past two seasons.
‘I agree with us being really excited and us being ready for the EASL,’ Hollis-Jefferson said. ‘I think that the amount of time I spent watching JB and the amount of time I’ve watched the guys on Meralco, I think that’s what it boils down to, being a student of the game. I tend to look at myself like that.
‘So understanding where guys thrive at, how to put them in the best situations to be successful, I think will help us in the EASL. It’s about which way will I have to turn. I’m sure you guys will see a different side of me versus, oh, I’ve got to go get 35 or something to help us win, when it’s like, JB can get 35.
‘For me, it’s more so about setting guys up, putting guys in the right position to make sure it’s the easiest two points or the easiest three points they’ve ever gotten. It was funny, Bong [Quinto], when I came, he was like, I can’t wait to sit in the corner. They know that I’m going to put you in that position,’ he finished.
Meralco will be reinforced by a third import in Ismael Romero, a big man who played for Puerto Rico in Fiba competitions.
Meralco has also tapped Iranian guard Sina Vahedi as its Asian import, according to his agency PSB Sports.
‘It’s an honor to be able to play alongside one of the best talents abroad, overseas. I look forward to it, but as far as the guys that are here, they’ve been open and willing,’ said Hollis-Jefferson.