DESPITE getting entangled in several physical plays with Adrian Nocum in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals, Justin Brownlee still speaks highly of the third-year Rain or Shine guard.
The Barangay Ginebra import sought out Nocum at the end of the Kings’ 111-104 win in the series clincher to give him his flowers following a grueling matchup with the Elasto Painters.
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“He’s going to be a special player in this league,” said the Gilas Pilipinas naturalized player of the former Mapua Cardinal, who was actually a second round pick at no. 24 by Rain or Shine during the Season 48 draft.
“He’s been really playing well. He’s doing a very good job of leading his team with that aggressiveness.”
Two plays stood out in the series involving both Brownlee and Nocum.
First, Brownlee’s chase down block on Nocum inside the final two minutes of Game 5 after the Rain or Shine guard stole the ball off Ginebra’s resident import, who claimed he was fouled prior to the block.
And then in the fourth quarter of Game 6, Nocum and Brownlee both got a hand and refused to let go of the basketball in one sequence, leading to a jump ball.
But when everything else was over, Nocum earned the respect of the three-time Best Import winner.
“I love it. I like the way he plays,” said Brownlee.
“Rain or Shine, they’re a very tough team. They ain’t no backing down and they’re right in your face the whole game, defensively and offensively.”
Asked what he told Nocum after the Kings wrapped up the series, 4-2, Brownlee said it’s more of an encouragement to a young, rising star.
“I just told him he had a great series and he’s going to do great things. Way to compete and just keep it going."
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