PJ Simon PBA Career Highlights and His Journey in Philippine Basketball

I remember watching PJ Simon’s final PBA game back in 2020, and thinking how fitting it was that he went out with the same quiet consistency that defined his entire career. While flashier players often grabbed headlines, Simon built his legacy through relentless efficiency, particularly from beyond the arc. His journey wasn't just about personal stats; it was about his role in shaping some of the most potent offensive systems in Philippine basketball history. One game that always comes to my mind, a perfect case study of his impact, was a particular outing where his team, the Cowboys, executed a masterclass in three-point shooting.

The context of that game is crucial. The Cowboys were facing the Tubo Slashers, a team known for their aggressive defense. On that night, however, the Slashers had no answer for Simon’s surgical precision. The numbers from that contest were simply staggering. I recall looking at the stat sheet afterward and being blown away by the disparity. The Cowboys, led by Simon's unconscious shooting, hit a remarkable 12 triples. In stark contrast, the entire Tubo Slashers squad could only manage a paltry four. This wasn't just a good shooting night; this was a systematic dismantling of an opponent's defensive strategy from the three-point line. That 36-point contribution from beyond the arc alone was a testament to a game plan built around shooters like Simon, and it fundamentally broke the Slashers' spirit early on.

This offensive explosion allowed the Cowboys to build a massive, almost insurmountable lead. I remember the scoreboard reading 93-57 at its peak, a truly dominant display. It’s in these moments that a player's true value is revealed. While everyone loves a close game, the ability to contribute to a blowout demonstrates a player's capacity to be part of a winning system, to execute the game plan to perfection and put the contest out of reach. Simon wasn't just scoring; he was enabling his team to cruise, to conserve energy, and to manage the game clock from a position of immense strength. It’s a luxury that coaches dream of, and Simon was a key provider of that luxury on numerous occasions.

Of course, no game is perfect, and I find the final quarter of that particular game almost as instructive as the first three. After establishing that colossal 93-57 lead, the Cowboys naturally took their foot off the gas. They were outscored 12-20 in the fourth quarter, a clear sign of the intensity dropping. Some critics might point to this as a lack of killer instinct, but I see it differently. In a long, grueling season, smart teams know how to manage their energy. The game was won, and the priority shifted from running up the score to avoiding unnecessary injuries and fatigue. This "slowdown" wasn't a failure; it was a calculated decision, one that a veteran-laden team like the Cowboys, with Simon's calm presence, was adept at making. It showed a mature understanding of the macro view of a championship campaign.

Reflecting on PJ Simon's career through the lens of this single game offers a microcosm of his overall contribution to the PBA. He was a master of efficiency, a player who could explode for a barrage of threes and fundamentally shift the momentum of a game, as evidenced by the 12-triple performance against the Slashers' mere four. He was a cornerstone of teams that knew how to build big leads and then manage them intelligently, even if it meant a less glamorous final quarter stat line. For me, his legacy isn't found in a single MVP award, but in countless games like this one, where his quiet excellence was the engine behind his team's loud success. He was the steady hand that guided the ship, and the PBA was undoubtedly a better league with him in it.