MANILA, Philippines – When Barangay Ginebra acquired veteran guard Jeff Chan from Phoenix, the expectation was that he would provide them with an additional scoring punch – particularly from beyond the arc.

Chan, after all, has been one of the premier shooting guards in the league, and in his 10th season in the league, he is drilling 35% of his shots from the three-point area on 5.44 attempts per game.

In his first two games with Ginebra, however, Chan has yet to find his scoring touch. He scored four points in his debut with the Gin Kings, a 134-107 rout of Columbian Dyip, but all of those points came at the free throw line as he bricked all three of his field goals.

Four days later, against Alaska, Chan made only two of nine shots for four points in a 105-86 win. 

Coach Tim Cone remains unbothered with Chan's poor shooting, however. 

Noting that the guard provides them with veteran leadership and solid defense, Cone is sure that the scoring will soon follow.

With his coach backing him, Chan is similarly unconcerned about his slump. "Babagsak din 'yan," the guard said following their win over the Aces last Sunday.

READ: Gilas braces for most challenging buildup yet

There is some pressure, he admits. Chan has observed that Ginebra's legion of fans expect him to make every shot that he takes – a feeling that he is not used to. After all, for the first nine seasons of his PBA career, he has played against the Gin Kings and felt the wrath of those same fans that now cheer his every move.

"Sanay ako na against sa Ginebra. Ngayon, medyo iba ang feeling, kakampi na," Chan explained. "Lahat, chini-cheer ka."

Chan assured the Ginebra fans that he will find his shooting rhythm sooner rather than later.

"Makukuha ko rin 'yun," he said. "I know papasok 'yan."

"Nangangapa pa ako sa system," he pointed out. "Good thing, may two weeks kami. Mapag-aaralan ko pa 'yung pwesto, at 'yung defensive side, makukuha namin."

The good news for Chan is that the Gin Kings are still pulling off comfortable wins even with him unable to add much to their points total. Moreover, he stressed that piling up points is not his goal with the team.

"Gusto ko lang makatulong in any way," said Chan.

"Niluluwa (ang mga tira ko) eh," he also said. "Sabi ko, sige. At least, panalo kami, 'yun ang importante."

"Hindi naman goal ko na maka-shoot ng apat nga three-points, pero talo naman. At least, panalo kami."

Chan and the rest of the Gin Kings will return to action on July 6, against the GlobalPort Batang Pier.

For more sports coverage, visit the ABS-CBN Sports website.

ai vision