Johnsherick Estrada would rather let his game do the talking.
Just 20 years, the NAASCU MVP finds more comfort going toe-to-toe with bigger foes rather than speaking his mind before the media.
Fortunately for Adalem Construction-St. Clare, Estrada finds no trouble letting his game speak for itself.
With the Saints facing elimination in the quarterfinals of the 2022 PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup, the 6-foot guard uncorked 20 points, five rebounds, and three assists as they booked the last ticket to the semifinals with a huge 90-87 win over Builders Warehouse-UST—curiously the same school which cut him out of its roster back in 2019.
Even in the Final Four, he was one of the main aces for Adalem-St. Clare averaging, 18.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists—including an all-around 22-point, 6-rebound, 3-assist, 2-block, and 1-steal performance in the team’s must-win 72-64 Game Two escape over the formidable no. 2-seed EcoOil-La Salle on Sunday .
Estrada, however, was still quick to simplify his game in his very few words.
“Nag-ensayo lang kami ng maayos. Sinunod lang namin ‘yung mga tinuro ni coach at binigay lang namin ‘yung best namin,” he said.
The Pangasinan-born playmaker need not to elaborate further as he was hands down the week’s best and copped the Cignal Play-PBA Press Corps D-League Player of the Week award for the period of August 8 to 14.
Estrada’s standout performance edged those of Ichie Altamirano of Apex Fuel-San Sebastian and Juan Gomez de Liano of Marinerong Pilipino as the group, made up of sportswriters and editors covering the beat, hands out citations in celebration of the developmental league’s 10th season.
This, however, is just the tip of the iceberg for Estrada, if his coach Jinino Manansala is to be believed.
“He still has a long way to go. Bata pa siya pero pinapatunayan niya na malayo pa ang mararating niya. Masaya naman ako kasi lagi niyang binibigay yung best niya sa laro,” said the mentor.
