Terrence Romeo is in the debate for best PBA player today

MANILA, Philippines – 27.2 points per game. That was Terrence Romeo’s PBA-leading average entering GlobalPort’s final match of the Philippine Cup elimination round against Rain or Shine this weekend. That number is almost 8 points higher than the next guy on the list, 3-time reigning MVP June Mar Fajardo.

Surprising? Not so much. Romeo is undisputedly the best scorer in the Philippine Basketball Association today – a rare once-in-a-generation talent with a God-given mix of elite shooting, slashing, and ball handling abilities.

6.2 assists a game. That’s how many dimes Romeo has been handing out on average this conference. 

Shocking? It’s hard to blame you if your eyes couldn’t believe that statistic for a second. So go check it up right here. 

Yes, this is the same Romeo who never heard the end of criticism about his lack of passing abilities when he was a college basketball star for FEU in the UAAP. 

This is the same Romeo who despite cutting down on all the unnecessary weight once he got to the pros, couldn’t be considered elite for a time because his instinct was to always shoot, shoot, shoot, and then shoot some more.

But like so many greats of the game, Romeo has learned to add diversity to his repertoire every so often. Send a double team his way, and it’s a given he’ll find the open man. Send 3 guys in front of him, and you’re playing with fire by risking other shooters getting open.

Now? Romeo has become the kind of player you can potentially win a championship with as your best player. 

The road to getting there took some time, and needed aid from others. Franz Pumaren is many things: a savvy businessman, eloquent speaker, impressive dresser, and more. But most of all, he’s a genius basketball tactician, one who’s never shy of telling his players what they need to do to be better, regardless of how much they’ve already accomplished.

So it’s only natural that before this PBA season, the coach told his franchise player what exactly he wants from him. The results have been clearly visible.

“Before the start of the season, that’s what we talked about. We sat down together and I mentioned to him, ‘You know, you should not be contented just being a novelty player – scoring but still losing,’” Pumaren told Rappler after watching Romeo score a career-high 44 points and dish out 6 assists in GlobalPort’s win over Rain or Shine. 

“‘We’ll make you a better player. We’ll make you a well-rounded player,’” were the words Pumaren used, remembering the conversation accurately.

“Because if you look at my history, if you don’t have a dominant big guy, might as well have a dominant guard, which is what I’ve been doing for the last couple of years.”

“He will end up the league leader in scoring and assists, and that’s one, probably, feature of his game that should be really looked at – changing his game for the best interest of the team,” the head coach later added.

Romeo’s maturity has gone beyond the 4 corners of the hardwood court. It’s easy to get lost in the adoration of the fans, especially when a superstar has all the characteristics of a crowd-favorite like he does: the swag to match his game, and the charisma to go with his fearlessness. 

(READ: Terrence Romeo’s game continues to evolve)

But embracing that praise can come with a cost, and at times, it led to selfish plays by GlobalPort’s star at the expense of the greater goal. 

“I guess part of that is his [willingness] to accept his role, his [willingness] to accept being the leader. Not like before, he’d score, people will start yelling at him – especially when he’s doing his dribbling – he was playing for the crowd,” said Pumaren.

“At least now, he’s playing not only to help the team win, but to become a better all-around player.”

So much better that scoring above 25 points a game is now an expectation. Some PBA players go their entire careers without breaching the 20-point mark. It feels like Romeo does it in his sleep. Add his suddenly top-echelon passing ability, and it’s exciting to imagine what the ceiling of Romeo’s abilities are. 

This thought is scary for other PBA teams, but exciting for everyone else: maybe, just maybe, we’re still far away from reaching peak Romeo. 

Fajardo is still the PBA’s best player, one whose combination of size, strength, agility, skill, endurance, and humility have never been seen before in the 42-year-old basketball league. When it’s all said and done, the San Miguel superstar will likely have more records than anyone else who’s ever set foot in the PBA. But in the meantime, Romeo’s coming for his crown.

“I’m not saying this because he’s my player, but he should be included in the equation,” Pumaren said about Romeo being in the best player of the PBA conversation. “Remember, [June Mar] Fajardo is surrounded by good players. Players around Romeo, except for [Stanley] Pringle, are all role players.”

The head coach makes a point, and it’s arguably the reason why GlobalPort is 6-5 entering the playoffs while the Beermen are at 10-1 and on a 9-game winning streak.

But that’s the kind of obstacle that will just have Romeo’s engine keep on going. For every two hours of magic he puts on the court once the games are on, there are way more hours that go behind the scenes into perfecting his craft. 

“Friday, I ended practice early. I was inside the lounge. When I went out, he was still there. Good for 30 to 40 more minutes working on his game,” said Pumaren, who added that Romeo comes to the arena on game day 3 hours before tip off, working on his shooting when the cameras aren’t rolling.

“He’s a classification of a gym rat.”

Maybe his abilities aren’t God-given after all. – Rappler.com