Ryan Pearson is determined to stay when Rain or Shine competes in the Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup.
Pearson, who arrived as replacement for Steve Taylor Jr., had a rollercoaster performance for the Elasto Painters, who emerged as eighth seed in the quarterfinals of the Commissioner’s Cup.
Several teams have opted to keep their imports for the season-ending conference for as long as they can comply with the 6-foot-6 height limit.
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel will be sticking with its resident reinforcement in Justin Brownlee while Meralco and San Miguel Beer will keep K.J. McDaniels and Marcus Weathers, respectively, for the Governors’ Cup.
Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao said there’s a possibility that Pearson will stay depending on their evaluation of his performance in the quarterfinals against powerhouse Bay Area.
“Who knows, hopefully he can play well against Bay Area and possibly lead us to an upset victory,” said Guiao a day before the Painters battled the Dragons.
“Of course, you’re always on a lookout. That’s been part of the protocols for teams — to have prospects on their list. But we hope Ryan can make a good account of himself.”
Although his teammates love him, Pearson’s numbers were far from impressive.
He’s been producing only 18.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game to go along with 1.2 steals.
Against the Dragons, Pearson submitted a forgettable 15 points as the Elasto Painters absorbed a 30-point beating, 96-126, to head into an early vacation.
But in a team being handled by Guiao, personal statistics hardly matter.
In fact, when the Elasto Painters won the 2016 Commissioner’s Cup, their import in Pierre Henderson-Niles wasn’t statistically dominant as he averaged less than 10 points per game.
Incidentally, Rain or Shine was the last independent team to win a PBA crown.
