Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser played a little over 20 minutes in his debut for NLEX in the Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup last Friday.
But it was enough for him to see the potential of his new team.
Ganuelas-Rosser said he is a perfect fit for the Road Warriors, who are undergoing an overhaul in a bid to win their first title in the PBA.
The 6-foot-7 forward was acquired by NLEX after shipping rising star Calvin Oftana and Raul Soyud to TNT Tropang Giga in a three-way deal with Blackwater that also involved Troy Rosario and Gab Banal.
He made his presence felt at the defensive end as he registered four points, 10 rebounds and five blocks, something that the Road Warriors will need to complement the offensive prowess of Kevin Alas, Don Trollano, Matt Nieto and import Earl Clark.
“I think I fit in pretty well,” said Ganuelas-Rosser, the top overall pick in the previous draft.
“As long as I play my game, with my motor and high energy, I’ll be able to find time on the court. I’m just focusing on defense, which has been my calling card so far in the PBA.”
Ganuelas-Rosser, the younger brother of TNT Tropang Giga swingman Matt Ganuelas-Rosser, added that moving to NLEX is a fresh start for him after failing to make an impact at the defensive end for the Bossing in the Philippine Cup.
“I also think that last conference, my rebounding wasn’t really well,” Ganuelas-Rosser, who played only eight games for Blackwater in his debut conference, said.
“I didn’t have enough games to showcase my rebounding. So far, in the first game, I had 10 rebounds and I’m really happy with that. It’s one of the challenges I set for myself this conference.”
Ganuelas-Rosser hopes to play a full season with a team that crushed him and the Bossing in the season-opening conference few months ago.
In fact, NLEX held Blackwater to a miserable two points in the fourth quarter, tying the record set by Mobiline when it battled Sta. Lucia on 28 February 2001.
Ganuelas-Rosser admitted that he was thrilled when he learned that he had been traded to the Road Warriors.
“I’m happy to be at the other side now,” Ganuelas-Rosser said.
“They beat us pretty good. That’s how talented NLEX is. They shot crazy. I think they hit 15 three-point shots during that game. It’s always good to be on the other side now. We’ll see how it goes.”
By getting the right import in Clark and having a great mix of veteran and young players, Ganuelas-Rosser believes the Road Warriors will have a long way to go and he is happy to be part of that journey.
“I think we have a group of guys coming in and working really hard,” Ganuelas-Rosser said.
“There’s been a lot of changes. They lost their coach, they lost some teammates and I’m in a new environment. So far, guys had really embraced me. We’re really working and putting are heads down, trying to get better, trying to be professional.”
“With Coach Frankie (Lim) now, he’s doing his thing, teaching us his way of basketball. As long as we stay together, sky is the limit for our team.”
