Filoil Flying V Preseason Cup Morning Rundown: Let's give Mike Nieto some credit

(Photo Credit: Dante Peralta, Spin.ph)

There's almost always been a tinge of doubt when it came to the performance of the Ateneo Blue Eagles last season. Some analysts and fans view the Blue Eagles as a team that was lucky to not have that much competiton during Season 79, which led to them making it to the Finals against the La Salle Green Archers. It was all about luck.

The same can be said about Mike Nieto's performance. He was arguably the most consistent player for the Blue Eagles, scoring in double digits for a number of games. However, fans still doubted his capabilities, with some even going as far as to call him a system player.

Alright, sure. Mike is a system player. But I think it's time to give him some credit.

Being a system player isn't always a bad thing, as shown by how good Mike has played. It isn't just a matter of following a system. It's a matter of following the system in place, but at the same time, knowing how to make good basketball decisions on your own. Big (or medium?) Mike happens to be that kind of player.

The result? He's been Ateneo's best player in the preseason thus far, averaging over 15 points per game to pair with 6 rebounds. Considering the team centric system of the Blue Eagles, getting to average those numbers is quite the feat in itself.

Mind you, he's been doing so at quite the efficient rate. He's only been attempting a select number of shots, most getting shots as an off ball option or even off offensive boards.

Mike will likely never be the dominant player that he was in High School, getting double doubles with ease. He's a system player who maximizes the amount of opportunities that he's given by Coach Tab Baldwin and his teammates. There's nothing wrong with that, and it's time that we give him some credit for his performance.

Let's proceed with the rundown.

Friday scores:

NU Bullpups def. LSGH Greenies 73-70

NU Bulldogs def. EAC Generals 87-85 

Flying V Thunder tie with Arellano Chiefs 77-77

Ateneo Blue Eagles def. UST Growling Tigers 89-72

The Rundown:

1. It's not looking too good for the NU Bullpups' bid at another revenge. LSGH was without big man Ladis Lepalam, yet NU managed to win by just 3 points. Also didn't help that Rhayyan Amsali wasn't to score that much (managed to grab 9 rebounds and dish out 5 assists though)

2. JJay Alejandro GETS BUCKETS. It was a great preseason debut for him, scoring 25 points, getting 9 rebounds and dishing out 4 assists. 

3. Coach Jamike Jarin has placed some hype on Enzo Joson, and the former Blue Eaglet somehow delivered. grabbing 4 rebounds. dishing out 3 assists, coming up with 1 steal and blocking 2 shots. Not bad, rook.

4. Considering that the Flying V Thunder is a team that's filled with pros, Arellano did pretty well. When you talk about the Chiefs, it's easy to say that it's going to be a Kent Salado-centric squad, but the team managed to have 4 guys (including Kent) scoring in double digits. That's a great start.

5. Eric Salamat had himself quite the game. 13 points, 3 rebounds, 8 assists and 4 steals. That's a great start for his PBA comeback bid.

6. Finally, the Blue Eagles get their first win! And they do so in convincing fashion as well. Aside from Mike Nieto, Isaac Go and Jawuan White also impressed.

7. It's getting difficult to get enthusiastic about the chances of the UST Growling Tigers. Losing by 17 points against an Ateneo team which clearly isn't close to peak form? That's a bad look. 

8. Steve Akomo struggled in his debut as foreign student athlete for the Growling Tigers, scoring just 9 points along with 8 rebounds in 31 minutes of action. It's just the start for Steve, but it wasn't the start which some fans expected from him.

9. Shoutout to Jordan Sta. Ana. He was a great player back then with the NU Bullpups, but he struggled with the UE Red Warriors. Hopefully he's found a home in Espana.