ADRIAN Nocum had a near double-double for Rain or Shine in their big-time triumph over Barangay Ginebra in the PBA 50th Season Governors Cup last Sunday.
Nocum had 13 points against the Gin Kings, numbers already expected of the athletic guard. But what made his play much more impressive were the career-best 10 assists he dished out.
READ: Fuller, Tiongson lead Rain or Shine to vengeful win over Ginebra
Nocum’s assists numbers have been on an upward trend this conference, with six, seven, and eight dimes in the Elasto Painters' first three games for what is now a 7.8 average - well on pace to eclipse the 2.8 he normed in the Commissioner’s Cup.
The former Mapua guard remains a scoring threat in averaging 17.3 points, slightly higher than his numbers of 15.8 in 19 games last conference.
For sure, RoS coach Yeng Guiao has noticed Nocum’s better play at point guard.
“We're actually, on purpose, trying to play him a lot more minutes at the point,” he said. “His decision-making is getting better, more matured, and he is also partly, nagpapakita rin ng leadership.”
Nocum’s improvement in terms of leading is much-welcome, especially since the Elasto Painters just traded erstwhile skipper Gian Mamuyac to Phoenix Super LPG.
“We lost Mamu as our team captain, and Caelan [Tiongson] took over. Caelan, as the leader now, is able to also inspire other guys to be part of that leadership, be accountable to their teammates. That’s part of the maturity of the team," Guiao said.
“We are able to adjust to the situation, and then Adrian is getting better in a different field. He is not just looking to score, he is making his teammates better, and para sa akin, magandang sign ‘yun.”
Nocum steps up
Through Nocum's strong showings, Rain or Shine is now back to .500 with a 2-2 record after dropping their first two games.
“Sumusunod lang din ako kung anong sistema ng mga coaches at every time na may chance na mailagay sa mga kakampi ko,” Nocum, who was also recently named PBA Press Corps Player of the Week, said on his play at point.
“Dahil wala na si Mamu, challenge din sa akin ‘yun. Kailangan ko rin mag-improve. Malaking tulong din ‘yung binibigay ni coach Yeng na role talaga. Kailangan ko lang gampanan ‘yun.”
The Elasto Painters next play Magnolia on Friday at the Mall of Asia Arena. Despite already owning an even record, Nocum said now is not the time to relax.
“Mas ok siyempre from 0-2, ngayon 2-2 na. Kailangan na naming i-ano ‘yung momentum. Kailangan higitan ‘yung aggressiveness namin at effort namin,” he said.
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