Before anyone can call him a bust, Maurice Shaw warned his critics to "wait till you see me next year." Unfortunately, the 6-foot-9 Blackwater rookie and Roi Sumang were traded by Blackwater to NLEX in a three-team trade that also saw NLEX send the No. 3 pick overall to sister team TnT.
Word is that the Fil-Am center who was grabbed at No. 2 overall by Blackwater in the 2019 draft, might be bought out or headed to the RoadWarriors 3x3 team.
The reasons are aplenty why the former Harlem Globetrotter is receiving less attention. First, he hardly made his presence felt in his league debut inside the PBA bubble, playing no more than three games at an average of 7.5 minutes per and contributing a grand total of 1 field goal and 2 rebounds.
Secondly, injuries, like back spasms were blamed for Shaw's mediocre league debut. Team physician confirmed that the injury bothered the 36-year old center during the entire campaign of the Elite in the PBA Philippine Cup.
"It’s nothing like I expected. Unfortunately, I have to deal with some back adversity that I was unable to perform our play," said the Fil-Am. "I did try but I was so unable to move the way I usually move."
Question now is, will another MVP team like the Meralco Bolts be willing to gamble on Shaw?
If the price is not steep, then the course of action is to take him. In a league where there's a dearth of big men, Shaw can be a servieable big that can provide ceiling and relieved the pressure on Raymund Almazan and Reynel Hugnatan. It is not a guarantee for immediate success, but the mere presence of a 6-foot-9 as a third option is already a big improvement.
Aside from a reduced pay, Shaw should not expect to be the focal point in the post for the Bolts. That privilege is given to Almazan and Hugnatan. More importantly, a dedicated conditioning coach should focus on Shaw. He needs to get back in shape. At 36 years old, this will not be easy, but if Asi Taulava has the discipline to do that, then there is no reason for other centers like Shaw not able to do the same.
This is a big gamble for the Bolts. A gamble that they need to take if they want to change the dynamic of the team and avoid countless of Cinderella finishes.
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