Christian debut: No thrills, only system ‘feel’

MANILA, Philippines — There was no explosive debut. Only getting-to-know-you.

Top draft pick Christian Standhardinger didn’t bring the house down with a game-long brilliance. Instead he tried to sneak into the game like a house guest.

The 6-foot-8 Fil-German, whose outing with Gilas Pilipinas impressed a lot of basketball gurus while his entry into the PBA sparked a serious controversy, simply went through a quiet first game as a Beerman, disappointing quite a number of fans but drawing praises from some of the team mainstays and coach Leo Austria himself.

“I’m just trying to facilitate, get the guys open, and put the guys in a right situation. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out,” said Standhardinger after their 85-93 loss to the Meralco Bolts where he grabbed five rebounds, scored four points, and made two assists and two steals in 20 minutes of action off the bench.

“My job is to defend, give energy and facilitate more. And that was my main focus on the court. I will do that, keep doing that as long as the head coach tells me different,” said Standhardinger.

Austria believed he did a fine job in his debut.

“We all saw the energy he put in the game. He’s of big help to the team although it’s his first game and he’s still trying to adjust,” said Austria. “He’s in the adjustment period. He’s trying to figure out what is good for the team, what kind of help he has to provide. But we saw his worth.”

On their setback, Austria said his wards failed to shake off the rust coming off a long layoff while the Bolts enjoyed a good rhythm, having played three previous games before their matchup.

“We’re not yet in game shape, which was very evident, and we have to adjust our approach in the game, especially if we’re up against a team like Meralco,” said Austria.

With their imposing import in Arinze Onuaku, the Bolts kept up with the titleholders and won the game on a decisive surge at the finish.