The best imports do more than get buckets. They solve problems.
For NLEX Road Warriors, Deonte Burton spent Game 1 doing a little of everything.
The former NBA player finished with 27 points, 11 rebounds and six stocks (steals plus blocks) to steer the Road Warriors to a 97-92 Game 1 win over Phoenix Super LPG in their PBA Season 50 Governors' Cup quarterfinals series on Sunday at Ynares Center in Antipolo.
The two fourth-quarter blocks were the loudest part of his night, but the more interesting story was how his value stretched across possessions that had little to do with putting the ball in the basket.
On offense, even though it's a given that Burton can manufacture scoring on isolation and catch-and-shoot possessions, his value went beyond getting buckets. Head coach Jimmy Alapag used cross screens to get him into the post, where his strength and physicality could create favorable matchups closer to the basket.
A cross screen is an off-ball screen in which a player moves across the court to set a pick for a teammate, helping them get open or establish better positioning closer to the basket from the weakside to the strong side. To use it in Burton's case, NLEX used cross screens to help him get into the post, where he could receive the ball in a favorable position and use his strength to attack or draw defensive help
Those actions also gave NLEX a way to complicate Phoenix's defensive assignments.
When Burton established position inside, the Fuel Masters had to decide whether to let him work one-on-one or send help to prevent him from getting a clean look. Either choice could create an advantage for the Road Warriors, particularly if the defense collapsed and left space for teammates to exploit.
Although he only had two assists to show for, what opened up for NLEX is the ability to the paint and drive due to a tilted defense caused by Burton's threat to occupy the possible help defense.
But the old problem of NLEX slipping into one-on-one basketball resurfaced after halftime.
The Road Warriors managed just 41 points in the second half, giving Phoenix an opening to claw its way back into a game. For Alapag, the late-game drama highlighted the tough challenge of being in the playoffs, where every team comes in prepared.
"Every team in the playoffs is a quality team and it requires your best. I don't think we were at our best tonight, but we did enough to win," Alapag mentioned.
While Burton already carries a significant offensive workload, his role becomes even more pronounced on the defensive end, particularly with NLEX lacking size in the frontcourt.
Burton's athleticism also allowed him to make an impact on the other end, particularly as a backline defender capable of covering for breakdowns. The 32-year-old's three blocks were the most visible examples, but the value of his rim protection extended beyond the box score.
When Phoenix's ball-handlers managed to get past their initial defenders, Burton could rotate over and make the finish more difficult.
That is the role of the low man: the weak-side defender who steps toward the paint when the primary defender is beaten off the dribble.
For Phoenix, that presence changed the calculus of attacking the basket. Beating the perimeter defender did not necessarily guarantee an uncontested finish, because Burton could arrive as a help defender and challenge the shot. Even when he did not record a block, the threat of his rotation could influence a driver's decision or force the offense to look for another option.
However, moving forward into this series, Burton cannot be expected to erase every defensive breakdown, especially when the opposition has Ricci Rivero and Gian Mamuyac.
NLEX still needs to get better at containing the ball at the point of attack and avoid allowing Phoenix to repeatedly force rotations. But having an import who can recover, contest at the rim, and disrupt possessions gives the Road Warriors some margin for error.
In a close playoff game, that can be just as valuable as another scoring run.