It has taken Demetrius “Tree” Treadwell three games to convince head coach Yeng Guiao that he could be the perfect fit for Rain or Shine.
Treadwell put up solid numbers against NLEX last Friday, firing 23 points, grabbing 18 rebounds and dishing off four feeds and swatting two enemy shots to power the Elasto Painters to a 113-101 victory in the ongoing Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup.
“It’s a process. We had adjusted to DaJuan (Summers) and now we have to adjust to Tree for a short time,” Guiao said.
“They have different styles of play, different ways to make them effective in the system that we made, but we’re getting it now.”
Initially, the 6-foot-7 Treadwell looked like he was days from being fired as he posted just eight points and 15 boards when RoS dropped a 115-110 decision to San Miguel on 29 November.
“We know what to expect from Tree and Tree knows what to expect from his teammates. I’m really happy with his defense, his rebounding. He’s also a leader. He’s talking to his teammates and a good influence in the locker room and we’re very lucky to have Tree with us,” Guiao added.
RoS currently parades a 2-5 record but Treadwell’s performances as of late could result in more wins.
Before coming to the PBA, Treadwell, 32, played in the Israeli league where he emerged as the rebounding leader, and also saw action in Korea, France and Argentina.