ROOKIE Mikey Williams finally showed a glimpse of the player that made TnT Tropang Giga get out of its way to have a hold on him.
The Fil-Am guard had his best game in the PBA Philippine Cup Friday as he topscored for 27 points in leading the team to a 91-76 beating of the Meralco Bolts and stay perfect for the season.
Williams capped his production by going 5-of-10 from the three-point arc for 11-of-20 field goal overall, while adding four rebounds, two assists, a steal, and just a single turnover in 34 minutes of play.
And the No. 4 overall pick is just getting started.
“Not quite yet,” he curtly replied if he finally settled in the league. “I still have a lot of work to do.
Mikey Williams
“This is just one game, and there’s still plenty of games to come.”
That includes a showdown with the Magnolia Hotshots on Sunday at the Don Honorio Ventura State College gym in Bacolor, Pampanga in a battle between the league’s top teams in the standings.
The 5-1 Hotshots have a slew of pesky guards in Mark Barroca, Jio Jalalon, Justin Melton, and Paul Lee who could give Williams different looks in their 7 p.m. game.
But good thing, Williams said the Tropang Giga and the coaching staff under Chot Reyes have all been helpful to make him accustomed to the way games are played here.
“I know my coaches and my teammates are still helping me adjust and I thank them gratefully for that,” said the highly-touted guard, who TnT acquired by moving heaven and earth and instigating a three-team trade along with NLEX and Blackwater to have him available at the no. 4 overall pick in the last draft.
Reyes said the team is giving Williams all the time he needs to adapt to his new environment and provide the best possible contributions he can to the franchise.
“Everyone knew naman what Mikey could do coming in. I think it’s just a matter of him getting acclimatized to the style of playing here and understanding how difficult it is to play in this league,” said Reyes.
“We’re just taking a look at how we can continuously improve as a team and how we can all help Mikey and how Mikey can continuously help us as well.”
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