IN the eyes of Barangay Ginebra coach Tim Cone, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is one of the best imports he has seen in the PBA.
Of course, Cone also has Justin Brownlee on his side, definitely one of the best in the PBA as well with the shot making and clutch shots he has delivered in the past. But Hollis-Jefferson has unique traits that also make him a cut above the rest among PBA imports, Brownlee included.
“He is amazing,” said Cone after Game Three of the PBA Governors’ Cup finals. “We look at video. I watch him on video. And the things he does just amaze us, us as a team.”
“He is, by far, the best import I’ve ever seen in terms of focusing on defense and hustle. We’ve had a lot of prolific imports, guys scoring 100 points, guys averaging big numbers. But to have a guy like this that comes in and just plays so hard on the defensive end and in the hustle side of the game, I don’t think we’ve had too many imports like that,” said Cone.
READ: Tim Cone hopes Ginebra sustains energy for critical Game Four
Barangay Ginebra got its first win of the finals series on Friday after the Gin Kings defeated TNT, 85-73, but it didn’t stop Hollis-Jefferson from doing his thing, tallying 24 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists, while still living up with being a defensive and hustle player by collecting four steals and one block.
Hollis-Jefferson did it by once again playing 48 minutes for the second straight game.
Cone said he had seen imports who have similar styles in terms of hustle, but no one can match Hollis-Jefferson more so since he is a player who should be in the NBA.
“Maybe Marqus Blakely or Rosell Ellis but not to that level. That’s why he (Hollis-Jefferson) is an NBA guy. I don’t know why he is not in the NBA. He should be in the NBA. He is special,” said Cone.
Cone admitted the 29-year-old Hollis-Jefferson is a tough match-up because of his ability to play with no rest.
“Rondae does play 48. It’s hard to rest your import for six, eight minutes when Rondae is still on the floor all the time. That’s making it difficult for us. Rondae just doesn’t slow down,” said Cone.
Cone also said Hollis-Jefferson is a big reason why Brownlee is struggling offensively, having only hit his first three pointer of the finals series in Game Three.
“I remember talking to Erik Spoelstra and telling him about Rondae was here. And he goes, ‘Wow, that guy is an elite defender.’ And he was known as an elite defender in the NBA. That’s why he was in the NBA because he was such an elite defender and elite stopper,” said Cone.
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