Player of the Week: LA Tenorio

TO say LA Tenorio is the barometer for the Alaska Aces is not an overstatement,
for no less than coach Tim Cone declares it to be so.
“No doubt, LA is our leader on the floor,” said Cone of his heady playmaker who
led Alaska’s charge in back-to-back wins and into the semifinals of the PBA
Governors Cup, making him the unanimous choice as Accel-PBA Press Corps’ Player
of the Week for the period July 11 to 17.
Tenorio proved this by averaging 18.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists in
victories over Rain or Shine and Barangay Ginebra. Those numbers are marked
improvements to his first six games in the season-ending tourney, when he was
norming 11 points and 4.3 rebounds.
The 27-year-old simply explains the improvements to his game by saying new
acquisitions Jayr Reyes, Wesley Gonzales, Hans Thiele and Aris Dimaunahan have
fully incorporated themselves into the system.

“I think our team is starting to understand the system. In the first few games
inconsistent kami kasi nangangapa pa kami sa isa’t-isa. Now medyo nakukuha na
namin ang rhythm namin at hopefully tuloy-tuloy na,” said Tenorio.
The fact the right elbow injury that bothered him even before the tourney
started also helped.
“That affected my game din siguro. Malaking factor ‘yung nag-re-recover na
injury ko,” he stated.
That was first evidenced in the week before, when he notched 20 rebounds, six
rebounds and six assists in a win over Powerade, but fully unveiled in the match
against Rain or Shine last Wednesday.

Tenorio highlighted a 22-point, eight-rebound performance with two clutch
triples in the last 63 seconds of the third period that broke Alaska away from a
four-point game and into a cruising 88-83 triumph.
Import Jason Forte notched his first 20-20 game with 24 points and 20 rebounds
in a tighter 83-79 victory against Ginebra last Saturday but Tenorio was not too
far behind, his 15 points being the lone double-digit output by a local Ace.
Those victories gave the Aces a 5-3 win-loss record they will carry over into
the six-team, single round semis, where Cone expects Tenorio to continue
sparking his teammates to greater heights.
“He won’t be intimidated by anybody or any situation and that attitude rubs off
on his teammates, which, in turn, makes us strong mentally. His presence gives
us a chance to be an elite team in the PBA,” stated Cone.(pr)