IN DEFENSE OF | GEO CHIU

Geo Chiu was tested in their game against the Converge FiberXers. But while I have hated the Terrafirma Dyip for their penchant for messing things up, they might have something with the former Ateneo Blue Eagles standout.

I have repeatedly said two things in my blog that may or may not be bearable for readers.

First of all, the only way you can convince me that UAAP foreign student-athletes are a good thing is if the FSAs are guards, or at least in the mold of Justin Brownlee, or at worst Ben Mbala. You can’t expect to develop quality big men in the PBA or Gilas Pilipinas if they have to take a back seat to FSAs. Again, collegiate basketball leagues are supposed to prepare players for the professional leagues.

Luckily, some players have smartened up and leaped to the MPBL instead of transferring to another college. But still, you can’t convince me that the best players in Africa worth tapping for school basketball programs are all centers.

The other thing that might piss people off is the fact that some of the best collegiate players are choosing international leagues over the PBA.

We’ve already seen this with several players. Yes, there’s a reason they were recruited to play in Japan and Korea, but no, that doesn’t erase the fact that many of them still dream of playing in the PBA in front of their Pinoy basketball idols. No matter if Player A is a LeBron James fan, a Kevin Durant stan, or even a Stephen Curry wannabe, many of them still think about sharing the court with their PBA kuyas.

We’ve seen this with Gilas Pilipinas, where players like Carl Tamayo and Kevin Quiambao were in awe of their PBA teammates.

Hell, I expect Jason Brickman to be in a similar situation as Caelan Tiongson.

You can’t dispel the fact that for a Pinoy basketball player, the PBA is still the endgame—unless they truly find success elsewhere. I mean, aside from Dwight Ramos and Justin Gutang, who among our players are really performing as the top stars of their international squads?

This brings me back to Geo Chiu, who went to Japan with several flaws in his game still needing refinement. This was evident during his stint with the Abra Weavers. In 21 games, Chiu averaged 5.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 15 minutes of action.

In their title-clinching win over the Quezon Huskers, Chiu logged just 14 minutes and finished with only two rebounds and two blocks.

I’m not saying he’s bad. I’m just saying that during his time in Abra, we saw his flaws. And we saw those same flaws again in their match against the Converge FiberXers.

Chiu was tasked with stopping Kylor Kelley. Yes, he managed to do so, but it also helped that Ali Mabushar went insane in that game while Shawn Umali provided quality minutes off the bench.

So am I writing this to tear Chiu down? Hell no. Actually, it’s quite the opposite.

In the dying minutes of regulation, Chiu had the ball and missed a layup. He grabbed the offensive rebound but missed the putback again. After the play, you could see his frustration. A couple of possessions earlier, we saw Chiu fall to the floor, and he looked completely gassed.

The dude’s problems are evident.

And yet, he still wanted to make up for his mistakes.

Chiu ended up being instrumental in Terrafirma’s win. Sure, some pundits will say he wasn’t worthy of the top overall pick, but I’m going to say otherwise. Terrafirma is the perfect place for him to grow. Yes, there’s always the threat that he might eventually be moved to another SMC team once he fixes his flaws. But until then, this team can help him become a better professional player.

Despite his flaws, he is eager to help the team. His shooting might still be inconsistent, but he is averaging 13.5 rebounds per game.

Plus, Terrafirma is loaded with outcasts who were once part of championship-caliber squads.

There are two things he needs to work on—things I’m sure he’s already aware of. First, he needs to learn how to finish sure baskets. Aside from the two missed field goals in that sequence, Chiu had several missed gimmes. Broadcaster Jolly Escobar pointed out during the telecast that as a big man, he needs to score those baskets because that’s his job. Magoo Marjon also highlighted this, referencing a quote from Bill Walton about finishing strong when you’re that close to the basket.

Second, he needs to improve his conditioning.

Yes, the current crop of PBA imports can be slow and, at times, boring. But what do you expect? There’s a reason many of them aren’t in the NBA right now—they don’t fit the modern NBA big-man archetype.

This is why Mabushar Ali was able to drop 50 points while Kelley led Converge with just 17. For a big man to thrive in the NBA today, he needs power, speed, and range. The big men who lack those attributes usually end up playing in leagues around the world that still give traditional centers room to thrive.

That means Chiu has to bang bodies with these players.

Can you imagine if Umali were bigger than 6'4"?

I’m not saying Chiu needs to bulk up dramatically, but he does need to add muscle while still maintaining his rebounding ability. His current situation—where he constantly battles imports—should help improve his conditioning.

Again, Terrafirma is the perfect place for him to develop.

Before injuries hit, we saw how a full season with the team helped players like Javi Gomez de Liaño, Isaac Go, and Kemark Cariño grow.

Geo Chiu will be a beast in the future. He will only turn 25 this year. He will make mistakes, and the team will help him polish those weaknesses.

Unlike Arnold Van Opstal, Samigue Eman, and Ben Adamos, he won’t just sit on the bench and be labeled as a long-term project.

He’s a superstar in training.

And that’s a good thing.

Who knows—Chiu might even be the one to eventually take the place of June Mar Fajardo once The Kraken is ready to step away from international competition.