A player’s growth is often measured in numbers and milestones. But sometimes, progress is seen in the finer print, where each game can reveal how a player approaches each possession and responds with poise beyond his years. Take the case of Juan Gomez De Liano, who had one of his better games in the PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup against the NLEX Road Warriors. 

The Converge FiberXers’ 112-110 victory over the Road Warriors saw Gomez De Liano dish out a game-high eight assists while scoring the most points (along with Justin Arana) among the FiberXer Filipino players. His ability to do damage with his scoring and create opportunities with his playmaking was on full display and it led to a very balanced offense from Converge, who handed NLEX their second loss in the Governors’ Cup. 

There was never an issue with Gomez De Liano’s ability to generate offense and take over games; he simply needed time to do so on a consistent basis. The second overall pick in the PBA Season 50 Draft has had a few international stops before settling in the PBA and each stint was a lesson on how to deal with the rigors of being a professional basketball player. His stops didn’t see him churning out huge performances all the time, but all those moments led to his growth, which Converge is happy to be the primary beneficiary of. 

The game has become easier for Gomez De Liano, who has slowed things down. Some efficiency issues remain, but that hasn’t stopped him from being one of the better passers in the league (fourth in the PBA at 6.7 assists per game on just 2.3 turnovers). That alone should help him stay on the court because of how he can bring the rest of the FiberXers along with him. 

Gomez De Liano had quite the stint with Gilas Pilipinas as well and it has translated into a solid Governors’ Cup campaign, but he will return to national team duty as he was named to the the Philippines’ pool for the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan. With the Filipinos currently playing the B.League and KBL unavailable for the competition, the opportunities for him to shine are there. As of this writing, there’s no official pool for the upcoming 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup qualifying window, but look for Gilas head coach Tim Cone to add him to that pool as well. That way, the former UP Fighting Maroon will already be well entrenched with what Gilas Pilipinas wants to run in the coming weeks.  

After all, they’ve seen enough over the past few weeks to know that Juan Gomez De Liano will have a net positive effect overall. Gomez De Liano has not been shy to take the lead role for the Converge FiberXers and the FiberXers will live with his mistakes, so long as he continues to learn and grow, all while taking them to greater heights.