ADRIAN Nocum had several hang time moves in Rain or Shine’s 114-104 Game 2 win over Converge that reminded basketball fans of the late Samboy Lim, Bong Alvarez, and Vergel Meneses during the late '80s and early '90s in the PBA.
READ: Rain or Shine finishes strong to beat Converge, force decider
Coach Yeng Guiao was already there when Lim and Co. dominated the league with their aerial artistry.
But he refused to compare his prized sophomore to any of them, stressing Nocum is a heck of talent on his own.
“Wala, nag-iisa lang ito. Unique siya,” said Guiao of the former Mapua Cardinal.
Nocum recorded a number of highlight reel plays in the Elasto Painters’ win on Friday night that sent their best-of-three quarterfinals series against the FiberXers into a do-or-die encounter on Sunday.
The 25-year-old guard from Tondo scored a playoff-high 28 points, which he spiked by shooting the lights out of the Ninoy Aquino Stadium after going 4-of-6 from three-point range.
But his best moment came in the second quarter during a transition play when he hung in mid-air while holding the ball with both hands behind his head, before releasing it just in time to draw a foul on Jordan Heading.
In the fourth quarter, he also did a Eurostep that caught Cheick Diallo by surprise before converting the basket off a reverse layup against the Converge import.
However, it no longer surprised Guiao to see Nocum finishing off from all his fancy moves.
“Actually, noong una pa lang na pagpasok niya sa team, sinabihan ko na siya na meron kang talent slashing to the basket at may bilis ka,” said the veteran coach.
MVP Nocum?
There’s one thing missing in Nocum’s arsenal, though.
“Pero inconsistent yung outside shots mo. Sabi ko, may depensa naman siya, athletic naman siya, 'pag na-develop niya yung outside shot niya, sabi ko baka mag-MVP ka," said Guiao.
“Baka inaambisyon niya yung ano (MVP),” added a smiling Guiao. “Binobola ko lang siya nun e. Naniwala.”
Whether it’s a joke or not, Nocum - at least in Game 2 of the 2024 Commissioner's Cup quarterfinals - showed he does have potential to become a future MVP.
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