When we featured an article asking players from Sta. Lucia Realtors to step up offensively and take the load off the shoulders of Kelly Williams, Joseph Yeo and Dennis Espino, nobody thought a former journeyman by the name of Norman Gonzalez will take challenge. Why? Because this 28-year old forward from Magalang, Pampanga is not a known offensive threat in the mold of Paolo Mendoza or Nelbert Omolon, neither is he a potent force inside the paint like Marlou Aquino. But whatever he lacks in those aspects, he more than made up with his calm and precise shooting from the floor.
Gonzalez was a good example of role player when the Realtors pick him up from the free agency market. In the 2006-2007 season, he appeared in 27 of 37 games by the team and normed in 5.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per outing. He was the best three-point shooter (percentage-wise) that time for the team with 36.2 percent clip behind Kenneth Duremdes’ 40.6 percent.
In the 33rd Season of the PBA, Gonzalez averaged 5.61 points, 3 rebounds almost one assist and one steal in all the 18 games of the Realtors in the elimination round. He is also one of the top free-throw shooter of the team averaging 86.91 percent from the line, second only to the 91.67 percent clip of Mendoza. He continues to be a threat from beyond the arc and averaged a respectable 26.26 percent.
In the current conference, Gonzalez decided to up the ante and fill the hole left by the injured Ryan Ryes and offset the erratic shooting of Williams. He is averaging 8.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal in 19.9 minutes per game. He is also shooting a remarkable 60.0 percent from the paint, 41.9 percent from beyond the arc and 91.7 percent from the line. He capped this amazing performance with an eye-popping 25 points last 19 November against an erstwhile powerhouse, San Miguel Beermen.
Gonzalez's all-around performance and Yeo's daredevil drives to the basket are the only bright spots for the Realtors after 10 games in the 34th Season of the PBA Philippine Cup. They are the primary ones that kept the team's hope for a crack at the automatic semifinal slot alive.
Since Yeo will always be an offensive ninja for the team, there is no doubt that Gonzalez played a bigger factor to the team's success than before. The question now is, how long can he sustain this?
Gonzalez was a good example of role player when the Realtors pick him up from the free agency market. In the 2006-2007 season, he appeared in 27 of 37 games by the team and normed in 5.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per outing. He was the best three-point shooter (percentage-wise) that time for the team with 36.2 percent clip behind Kenneth Duremdes’ 40.6 percent.
In the 33rd Season of the PBA, Gonzalez averaged 5.61 points, 3 rebounds almost one assist and one steal in all the 18 games of the Realtors in the elimination round. He is also one of the top free-throw shooter of the team averaging 86.91 percent from the line, second only to the 91.67 percent clip of Mendoza. He continues to be a threat from beyond the arc and averaged a respectable 26.26 percent.
In the current conference, Gonzalez decided to up the ante and fill the hole left by the injured Ryan Ryes and offset the erratic shooting of Williams. He is averaging 8.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal in 19.9 minutes per game. He is also shooting a remarkable 60.0 percent from the paint, 41.9 percent from beyond the arc and 91.7 percent from the line. He capped this amazing performance with an eye-popping 25 points last 19 November against an erstwhile powerhouse, San Miguel Beermen.
Gonzalez's all-around performance and Yeo's daredevil drives to the basket are the only bright spots for the Realtors after 10 games in the 34th Season of the PBA Philippine Cup. They are the primary ones that kept the team's hope for a crack at the automatic semifinal slot alive.
Since Yeo will always be an offensive ninja for the team, there is no doubt that Gonzalez played a bigger factor to the team's success than before. The question now is, how long can he sustain this?
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