Mamuyac sharpens offensive skills

Gian Mamuyac is wasting no time in the offseason to work on the offensive facet of his game to contribute more for Rain or Shine in the coming Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Season 50 Philippine Cup in October.

Known as Elasto Painters’ relentless defensive specialist, the third-year guard admitted that he’s taking extra effort to improve his shooting, particularly his shooting form.

“I have a lot of things to fix (in my shooting form), actually,” Mamuyac said.

“But I make sure that this offseason, I put in the work. And hopefully, I'll be able to show it in the upcoming season.”

Mamuyac has sought help from a professional coach to change his shooting mechanics and improve his shooting percentage.

The fifth overall pick in the 2022 Draft averaged 12.2 points per game but only shot 37.4 percent from the field in the previous Philippine Cup. He shot 7-of-44 from the three-point area the whole all-Filipino Conference.

Mamuyac shared that switching to a different form proved to be a challenge.

“It's hard. Not only physically, but also mentally. Because in the beginning, you'll really struggle. You'll miss some shots. But you'll need the mental toughness to stick with it. And just trust your work,” the 26-year-old Ateneo de Manila University product said.

“Hopefully, I'll be good at the next conference.”

He shared that his decision to work on his shooting was part of the challenge head coach Yeng Guiao gave to the team following a semifinal exit in the Philippine Cup last month.

“Coach Yeng told us to do a self-assessment. And I think that's what I assessed (on my part). That’ what I really need to work on. And so, I asked for professional help,” Mamuyac said.

Mamuyac is playing in the last year of his three-year contract with Rain or Shine.

The PBA will open its golden anniversary season on 5 October.