San Miguel Beer’s Jeron Teng (#21) goes for a lay-up against Meralco’s Brandon Bates (#33). Photo from PBA Images.MANILA — Jeron Teng has been solid for the San Miguel Beermen in their perfect start to the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup.

The former De La Salle University main man has averaged 8.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, a steal, and half an assist in over 13 minutes in two games, and this was already a lot better in comparison to the Commissioner’s Cup wherein he only saw a total of a little over 12 minutes of gameplay.

Teng finished with 11 makers, three rebounds, and a steal in the Beermen’s 110-98 victory over the Meralco Bolts on Tuesday in their PBA 50th Anniversary game, and he said that this is his way of repaying Leo Austria’s trust.

READ: San Miguel overcomes Meralco fightback in PBA 50th Anniversary clash

“When you have a coach who gives you the opportunity, you have to make the most out of it,” said the 6-foot-2, 31-year-old. “I won’t take it for granted, and for me, I’m more focused on the defensive side, trying to guard the best opponents.”

Last Saturday, Austria expressed that he wants Teng to regain the form that made him one of the main weapons of the now-defunct Alaska Aces, as well as the earliest versions of the Converge FiberXers.

“He deserves to get a lot of minutes because, in the last four weeks of training namin, he was doing well,” the multi-titled mentor said of Teng, who has impressed on both ends of the floor.

“In our tune-up games, he was able to control the scorers of our opponent, that’s why nakakita ako ng chance na bigyan siya ng time. Alam naman natin, Jeron was a marquee player before, and I want him to get back to that kind of confidence he had before,” added Austria.

Teng, for his part, said that while Austria has not communicated that specific development to him, the former Adamson University mentor has always pushed them as a unit to compete on both ends of the floor.

“In practice, he challenges everybody, not just me,” said Teng. “And I have the opportunity to guard guys like CJ [Perez], Don [Trollano], Marcio [Lassiter], and Jericho [Cruz], so they really push me in practice.”

The former King Archer also admitted that seeing limited action in his earlier conferences with San Miguel in a way disheartened him, but that did not stop Teng from taking advantage of the chance to progress.

“Ako, I can’t say na walang frustration, but I see things as an opportunity to grow,” he explained. “Nung hindi ko nagagamit, I focused on learning from my teammates. They are winners, so I ask them questions, and kaya I don’t see it as a wasted conference.”