MORE TO COME FROM FUN-LOVING ORTON
Good as advertised?
Daniel Orton proved just that as he tallied 16 points, 12 rebounds three assists and three blocks in his debut for Purefoods Star as the Hotshots coasted to an easy 87-62 victory over NLEX.
But the former Kentucky mainstay said that he doesn’t want to jump the gun and accept the praise he’s getting.
“That’s too early to say. It’s just one game so I hope we could keep this consistency and play that well,” he said, admitting that he still is feeling his way around the intricacies of coach Tim Cone’s triangle.
“I’ve only been here for a little bit and I’m still getting lost on the triangle a lot out there. But we find ways to make it work and they’re doing a great job,” Orton said, while pointing some aspects of the game where he feel Purefoods could still improve on. “It’s our defense where we struggled tonight because they got a lot of open shots. NLEX is a great team and they found a way to get open.”
Orton also had nice words for the tremendous job done by Marqus Blakely in preparing him for the grit and grind of the PBA.
“He’s a great player. He did everything he could and Purefoods fans know what to expect from him and what they’re going to get. He played very well and thankfully we had a great start. I was kind of worried on matching Marqus’ play and hopefully, the fans are happy that I came close,” he said. “He helped me a lot. He talked to me a lot, got me a lot faster than what I should’ve been.”
As much as people expect a lot from him, the PBA has likewise lived up to his expectations, saying, “I like watching games on TV. Everybody says it’s a physical league and that’s true. You have great players here who know how to play the game.”
“Everyone’s worried about my adjustment, but the CBA is pretty physical too and there’s a lot of great athletes which surprised me, and it’s the same transition here. It’s not really much adjustment to the league, it’s just adjusting to my team.”
Orton has assured Purefoods fans that he will continue to play on the same level and with the same intensity, or perhaps even greater in the days to come. He added he has a few more surprises in store for the Hotshots’ followers…and for the opposition as well.
And while he’s at it, Orton always remembers one thing.
“I like to have fun,” he said. “Don (Allado) was telling me to have fun. We love this game so you’ve got to have fun or else you’ll get tired of it.” (RL)
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