Orton impressive in debut as Purefoods stays unbeaten

MANILA, Philippines -- Daniel Orton just showed why he’s a top NBA first-round pick in his PBA debut, playing with much energy as Purefoods Star blasted NLEX, 87-62, to regain a share of the lead with Meralco at 4-0 on Wednesday night.

“He just delivered a nice message for us,” said Purefoods coach Tim Cone, extremely satisfied with Orton’s initial showing.

“To be honest getting him to replace Marqus (Blakely) was a tough decision for us. We’re quite worried,” Cone also said of the 2010 NBA Draft no. 29 selection. “His skills, his size were no question. What we didn’t know is his energy and whether he would be happy to be here. He just showed he’s happy to be here and he’s happy with his teammates.”

Orton led the Hotshots with 16 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and three shot blocks in just 32 minutes of play.