ORTON READY TO STEP UP & DELIVER

Watching from the bleachers as Purefoods and Alaska tangled, the Hotshots’ import-in-waiting Daniel Orton said that he has done his homework and is just waiting for his chance to take the hardwoods of the PBA.

“There’s still a lot of things that I’m still learning. I can score and make my teammates better, but I still have to figure out our chemistry and how we’ll develop that so we’ll just have to wait and see,” he said.

Orton, 24, flew into the country Tuesday after wrapping up his stint with the Sichuan Blue Whales in China and went straight to the Smart Araneta Coliseum to witness his team play its second game in the 2015 Commissioner’s Cup.

The 6-foot-9 banger admitted that he is already bracing himself for the tough grind in the PBA, as he realized that being an import here comes loaded with tons of responsibilities.

“I know I’ll have a huge role being the import, so it’s a lot of scoring and a lot of rebounding. But I think one thing that I can bring to the table is good defense, protecting the rim, making the opposing teams think twice about driving inside, and keeping the opposing team’s field goal percentage low,” Orton said.

Orton is also no stranger to winning, being a part of the heralded 2010 Kentucky squad under coach John Calipari. Former teammates include John Wall, Demarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe, and Patrick Patterson. All five were picked in the first round of the 2010 NBA Draft, with Orton being selected by the Orlando Magic at 29th.

And he believes that this mindset will serve him well in his time with Purefoods.

“I know Purefoods is a team that expects a lot, and in Kentucky, there’s no greater school that expects more from their team. Just having that pressure, I think I already know how to deal with them and how to play through adversity so I think I’ll do well,” he said. (RL)

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