Mo Tautuaa welcomed the trade that brought him to GlobalPort in exchange for Terrence Romeo as a chance to finally shine three years after being selected as the top overall pick in the PBA Draft.
Tautuaa's stint with TNT KaTropa ended two weeks ago when he was shipped along with a 2020 first round and 2021 second round draft picks to GlobalPort for Romeo and Yousef Taha in a deal the Fil-Tongan see as a fresh start.
The 28-year-old believes that his new team can help him take a next step in his career after his time with TNT was spent mostly on sharing minutes with fellow big men Troy Rosario and Kelly Williams.
"It's a good place for me to grow and find my rhythm, and I'm enjoying it - that's the important thing," said Tautuaa. "It makes me want to work harder and do more, and be better, so it's a process and I just got to continue to grow."
Tautuaa looked as if he's a good fit in his first tune-up match when he scored 15 points in the Batang Pier's 97-91 win over the Phoenix Fuel Masters Friday at the Upper Deck Sports Center.
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While he remains in an adjustment period, Tautuaa believes he can do whatever role assigned to him by GlobalPort coach Pido Jarencio once he makes his debut in the Commissioner's Cup which opens later this month.
"I'm going to do as best as I can to make sure I do as best as I can for this team," he said. "I need to be what the team needs me to be, so whatever that is, and the more we practice, the more we'll figure out where I'm supposed to be.
"And everyone is saying I'm fitting well, and the wings are starting to spread, so we'll see how big they can get," added Tautuaa.
Incidentally, Tautuaa's first game with the Batang Pier will be against the KaTropa in the Commissioner's Cup opener on April 22 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.(JT)
