IF there's one thing Joshua Munzon has developed in his two-year stint in the 3x3 game, it's definitely being a smarter player.
And that cerebral approach is what the prospective no. 1 pick in the upcoming PBA Rookie Draft is looking to take as he embarks on a new chapter in his basketball career.
"I think it put me more in a tactical mindset of how to win ballgames," he told SPIN Sidelines.
"The pace of the 3x3 game is fastpaced and if you're not disciplined and focused on what you're trying to do, the game can slip away from you like that. Ultimately, it helped me slow the game down and think tactically of the game more."
Munzon, the top-ranked 3x3 player in the country, has shown time and again his caliber in the halfcourt, yet never failed to be calculating in his attack from the local leagues he dominated under the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 banner to the international stage in the Fiba 3x3 World Tour.
"If you're down three points, (you're thinking) how can we tie it up before the half. Or if we're up, how do we continue to push on. So we're just being smarter on how we attack," he said.
It's a big contrast to the roles he had in his past 5-on-5 stints.
Munzon was asked to be a point guard when he made the roster in Cal State Los Angeles, an import stopper in his time in ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) both for Saigon Heat and Westports Malaysia Dragons, and a do-it-all scorer when he played for AMA Online Education in the PBA D-League.
But in 3x3, the 26-year-old had to be more astute on top of cashing in on his basketball skills.
"I think that was the biggest thing: thinking of the game more than just going out there and playing, developing -- that tactical mindset of winning ballgames," he said.
It also helped that in his first season in 3x3, he had someone like Dylan Ababou who had a big influence on him on and off the court.
"It's crazy how big of an impact Dylan has made on me. He definitely was somebody who's in my ear a lot and promoting nothing but positive vibes," Munzon said of the seven-year PBA veteran.
The 6-foot-4 Munzon noted that his constant interactions with the former UAAP MVP from University of Santo Tomas has helped him tremendously in his adjustment here, especially now as he seeks to make a name for himself in the PBA.
"If anybody knows Dylan, he's the best person you'll ever meet in your life. I definitely learned a lot from him and just controlling certain things and not worrying about things you can't control and just being a professional. I think Dylan is somebody who everybody could learn something from," he said.
It's a safe bet that Munzon will carry those learnings when he makes it to the pro league, all the more if Terrafirma indeed picks him at the top of the class.
Watch the full SPIN Sidelines episode with Munzon below.
___
For more PBA updates, click here.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
