After an embarassing Game 3 loss to the Tropang 5G, the Meralco Bolts pulled the plug on Marvin Jones and replaced him with Patick Gardner before the opening of Game 4 of their best-of-seven semifinals series in the PBA Season 50 Commissioner's Cup last 27 May.
Jones, who played for Meralco since the elimination round, posted only 22 points, 15 rebounds, and three assists in their Game 3 loss. More importantly, he failed to dominate an import-less team.
Meanwhile, Gardner is a 6-foot-11 American-Egyptian center that had several stints abroad, including stops in the Japan B. League and Egypt's national team.
Born on 16 June 1999, Gardner is considered as a skilled stretch-center known for his elite shooting, high basketball IQ, and smooth offensive versatility. He gained international prominence representing the Egyptian National Team at the 2023 FIBA World Cup and has played professionally in the NBA G League.
On defense, Gardner knows where to be and is functional enough. He rarely commits fouls and has quick hands, even while retreating. His block numbers in previous tournaments were inflated by his size, but he improved a lot as a help defender throughout last year. That said if he gets isolated down low by a good post scorer, then it might put him in an uneasy predicament.
While he has quick hands and functional positioning, adding more lower-body strength to hold his ground in the paint and improving lateral quickness on switches remain key focal points for his physical development. This is why it is important for Cliff Hdge, Jayvee Mocon and Brandon Bates to complement his abilities and time their switches very well.
His biggest asset, though, is his 3-pt shooting whch is frequently hovering near or above 40 percent. He is a pick-and-pop threat with his ability to space the floor. He can force opposing centers to step out of the paint, creating driving lanes for the Meralco guards. Gardner also operates very well as a passer out of the high post and can effectively attack closeouts if defenders over-commit to his shot.
In the Game 4 101-90 win against Tropang 5G, Gardner scored 20 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. He went 3 of 6 from long-distance for 50 percent shooting clip. This is scary because he has yet to adjust to the Bolt's type of play. Once he has, those numbers will only go up.
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