PBA: 'Trigger-Chan'? Jeff Chan would rather carve out his own legacy

The last PBA season ended perfectly for Jeff Chan. His team raised its first championship trophy and he was named the Finals MVP during the 2012 Governors' Cup. His performance was an eye-opener for PBA fans and Rain or Shine supporters want an encore. This season is all about Chan making the leap. It's about transforming into a PBA superstar and joining the ranks of James Yap, Arwind Santos, Jimmy Alapag, and Mark Caguioa. For Chan, it’s also about breaking away from the Allan Caidic 2.0 branding and becoming his own man. “Mahirap abutin yung mga ginawa ni Allan Caidic, kaya gagawa na lang ako ng sariling pangalan,” Chan said. He does not mind the Caidic comparisons but he’ll appreciate it more if the fans remember him as Jeff Chan and not as a reminder of Allan Caidic’s existence. After winning last year’s Most Improved Player of the Year award, Chan is targeting loftier goals, but team success is still the first thing on his mind. “Lahat naman ng PBA players gustong maging Best Player of the Conference or MVP,” he said. “Di naman masamang mangarap.”

	MIN	PTS	3P%	FG%	REB	TO
2011-12 Season	29.20	14.20	34.10%	41.60%	3.00	1.50
2012-13 Philippine Cup	29.63	18.50	41.67%	47.96%	3.63	1.63

Still improving - it may be early in the season, but Jeff Chan's numbers have risen acros the board Few people expected Chan to be this good. Actually, few people expected him to be any kind of good as a PBA player. “Honestly, nung na-draft ako sa second round, na-frustrate ako noon kaya sabi ko sa sarili ko papakita ko na kaya kong tumagal sa PBA.” Luckily for Chan, he found a coach that gave him the opportunity. “Si Coach Yeng [Guiao] binigyan niya ako ng playing time at binigay niya yung tiwala niya sa akin so ako may kumpiyansa ako kaya nakakalaro ako ng maganda,” Chan said. But he does not need to do it alone. He is surrounded by players who have his back literally and figuratively.

	MIN	PTS	FG%	REB	AST
Jireh Ibanes	24.86	8.86	55.32%	2.43	1.71
Ryan Arana	20.71	6.00	34.15%	3.86	0.57
J.R. Quinahan	23.86	9.29	42.86%	7.29	1.71
Beau Belga	25.43	8.43	36.73%	4.14	2.14
Jervy Cruz	28.29	12.29	50.70%	10.00	1.29

With a little help from his friends - Rain or Shine's team play continues to produce victories When opposing tough guys try to play him dirty, Ronnie Matias and Larry Rodriguez get even for him. When his three-point shots fail to fall, Extra Rice Inc. steps up and drains the long bombs for him. When Chan struggles on offense, guys like Jireh Ibanes and Ryan Arana can surprise opponents and carry the scoring load for their team. The success of Chan’s transformation from scorer to PBA superstar is predicated on his teammates as much as on himself. The success of the Elasto Painters will ultimately define Chan’s legacy. - AMD, GMA News