Mac Tallo came out oozing with energy, as though he was not coming off a serious health issue that shelved him for a couple of months.
Picked by NLEX from the free agent pool last week, Tallo impressed in his first game for the Road Warriors in the 2018 PBA Commissioner's Cup on Friday.
He churned out 11 points to go with three assists, the same number of steals, and a couple of blocks for the Road Warriors, who are in dire need of firepower in the absence of suspended Kiefer Ravena and injured Kevin Alas.
Not bad for someone who just recovered from latent tuberculosis. In fact, it's his most productive game since being drafted 10th by the TNT Katropa last year.
"I'm still trying to get the hang of playing with my new teammates. I'm still not in great shape," said Tallo.
His stellar outing though didn't go unnoticed. NLEX coach Yeng Guiao was pleased to pick up gold in Tallo from the free agency pool.
"I'm very happy with the way he played. We were very lucky that nobody picked him up in the free agency. It's a blessing in disguise for us, you know. He was kind of excited to play. You can see he has potential," Guiao said.
Too bad the Road Warriors succumbed to Alaska, 120-111, at the Mall of Asia.
But what's important is Guiao now has another weapon at his disposal going forward. The veteran mentor even likened the Cebuano guard to his former wards in Jimwell Torion and former league MVP Willie Miller.
"He's like a combination of Jimwell Torion, who is also a Cebuano, and Willie Miller because of his body type. He's a strong point guard who can withstand a physical game," he said.
But the multi-titled mentor is not about to pressure his new "project." In fact, the fiery Guiao was a little lenient on Tallo - but only because it's only his first game.
"I don't pressure him. I just want his natural game to develop, I just want him to be able to grasp the system of the team and philosophy," he said.
"I didn't scold him that much," he added with a chuckle. "I just wanted him to feel it out. I gave him extra minutes even with the mistakes he was committing just to give him confidence and just for him to feel how it is to play out there and to be relied on."