2019 PBA draft

[qwertyz]

Arvin's shown a great effort level, and just had a good game last Sunday. Hope he can keep it up. He should keep shooting. They'll go in eventually.

He also slimmed down A LOT compared to his HS and College days. He was able to leave Quinto, Newsome behind. Very underrated in terms of skills. He can post, drive, shoot (not consistently but he can).

[unstopaball12]

He also slimmed down A LOT compared to his HS and College days. He was able to leave Quinto, Newsome behind. Very underrated in terms of skills. He can post, drive, shoot (not consistently but he can).

Just needs the drive in order to deliver. He was always an enigma in college that his skillet leaves you wanting for more.

[IPC]

Just needs the drive in order to deliver. He was always an enigma in college that his skillet leaves you wanting for more.

He's lucky he fell to a coach who wants to drive his players. Especially lucky to be that coach's development project.

[IPC]

He's lucky he fell to a coach who wants to drive his players. Especially lucky to be that coach's development project.

And now he played just 3 minutes this game. What the...? It's not like Cone will sacrifice much on defense.

[PaulLee3]

Barkley Ebona won pba player of the week.

[IPC]

Arvin's shown a great effort level, and just had a good game last Sunday. Hope he can keep it up. He should keep shooting. They'll go in eventually.

He's been good against MERALCO. Hope this keeps up for him. Just a little more consistency and aggressiveness.

[sajubeads]

He's been good against MERALCO. Hope this keeps up for him. Just a little more consistency and aggressiveness.

Arvin's is underrated but he is holding his own so far, well not to Norwood level at this time but can further improve..He has the most Lebronesque up in the air this shotblocks in this bubble...

[IPC]

Arvin's is underrated but he is holding his own so far, well not to Norwood level at this time but can further improve..He has the most Lebronesque up in the air this shotblocks in this bubble...

And it's been good to see that he's playing like a wing, even as the 4 in Ginebra's lineup. He's been showing a good attitude so far.

[hmbopbaduwap]

And it's been good to see that he's playing like a wing, even as the 4 in Ginebra's lineup. He's been showing a good attitude so far.

Aside from coach Tim allowing him to play his usual position, it looks like living with brother in law Doug during the lockdown helps him mentally..

https://www.rappler.com/sports/pba/r...nge-reputation

para magawa ko yun I have to work hard and try to be better everyday,” Tolentino said in the latest episode of At the Buzzer.

(Coach Tim won’t say those things if he doesn’t see potential, so for me, I just want to repay his trust, I have to perform better and for me to do that, I have to work hard and try to be better everyday.)

At 6-foot-5 with the shooting prowess of a perimeter player, Tolentino, the 10th pick in the PBA Draft, has the tools to succeed in this level.

His style of play did not perfectly fit the requirements of his slotman responsibilities in college, but in the pros, where he can excel as a tall, floor-spacing small forward playing next to bigs Japeth Aguilar and Joe Devance, his role is tailor-made for his abilities.

More importantly, Tolentino is at the best he’s ever been mentally. During the coronavirus lockdown, he lived with former PBA player Doug Kramer, now his brother-in-law, which helped prepare his body and mind for the grind of being a pro player.

Then in July, he married his longtime girlfriend Brandy Kramer to set roots.

Both have proved monumental in Tolentino’s goal to change his reputation by, in his own words, “being better.”

“Yun yung natatak sa isip ko. Yun yung gusto kong baguhin,” was Tolentino’s answer to the query if one of his missions entering the PBA is to alter the perception of him.

“Alam naman natin na yun yung tingin sa akin ng mga tao, di ba? So for me, kung ano man yung nasa past, yun na yun eh; wala na akong magagawa. Yun na yung nakasulat, di mo na mabubura yun eh. So ang importante sa akin… is yung now.”

(That’s what’s in my mind. That’s what I want to change. We know that’s how people see me, right? So for me, whatever happened in the past, that’s it. I can’t do anything about it. It has been written, you can’t erase it. So what’s important for me now is the present.)


“Yun lagi kong sinasabi sa sarili ko na parang nag cheat ako sa sarili ko because of those things – yung mga naging habit ko, what I’ve done before. Kumbaga binabawian ko yung sarili ko to do good things naman para for me to improve [and] to do better everyday.”

(I always tell myself that it’s like I cheated on myself because of those things – my habits, what I’ve done before. So I want to make up for it by doing good things, for me to improve and to do better everyday.)

Tolentino, who believes “he’s doing pretty good” about his goal, also wants to change the belief of some coaches who characterize him as “Tamad ‘yan (Lazy).”

Having his FEU head coach, Olsen Racela, as part of Ginebra’s coaching staff has helped Tolentino transition successfully to Cone’s triangle offense, which was part of Racela’s game plan with the Tamaraws.

Tolentino has also found support in assistant coach Kirk Collier, who’s taken a mentorship role for Arvin.

“Coach Kirk, he’s a big help for me because he’s always there to train me [and] to make me better.”

But what does being better mean, exactly?

“Gusto kong alisin yung mga habits ko before, yun yung gusto kong gawin,” explained Tolentino. “Kasi feeling ko di ako nakapagfocus sa sarili ko before. I have to work double-time para sa akin, para sa sarili ko.”

[IPC]

Looks like the special draftees remain with Gilas until given to their mother teams. All renewed their contracts with Gilas. Hope Mike, Suerte, and Bulanadi keep developing their guard skills. In fact, the Nieto twins have to really develop their games, as they face stiff competition in their positions. Suerte and Bulanadi would be serviceable for their mother teams right off the bat, though.