SO far, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson has lived up to expectations that comes from a player with legitimate NBA credentials.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson on PBA debut
The six-year NBA pro registered 37 points and 13 rebounds, while being three assists shy of a triple-double to lift TNT to a 138-116 win over Blackwater in his PBA debut.
His statline showed that he can do just about everything and that’s what Hollis-Jefferson is out to do with the Tropang GIGA.
“I like to look at myself and say I’m like a ‘poor man LeBron’ where it’s about making your teammates better and make the game flow. And then when the team needs me to score, be able to do that as well. That’s something I try to focus on,” said the 28-year-old Hollis-Jefferson.
Hollis-Jefferson came in as a replacement for Jalen Hudson, a change that came as a surprise to many since Hudson was carrying TNT to victories including a 56-point performance against Terrafirma.
TNT coach Jojo Lastimosa said Hollis-Jefferson’s performance on Wednesday was proof that a switch was needed. Lastimosa said Roger Pogoy was the biggest beneficiary to Hollis-Jefferson’s performance where he scored 40 points highlighted by seven threes.
“Sa klase ng game niya, he drives, he attacks the defense, and he is a willing passer. Not only that. We also improved on our coverage on the interior. You can see that in the first half, maganda. Although when the game was out of reach, we have a tendency to relax. But I was happy with what I saw tonight,” said Lastimosa.
Despite his 37-point performance, Hollis-Jefferson said his mentality is to share the ball to help his teammates gain their confidence over the course of the conference.
“At the end of the day, I feel that the focus is on the import a lot of times. I think the import makes it more about them than it is to be. Sometimes, we want to overshoot. We may have a guy who is open. I think it makes it easier that they brought me in and facilitate and pass the ball so that they can get easier shots.
“If they are flowing and feeling good, now, I can count on them and be on the help side and communicate with them if they do make a mistake defensively or vice-versa because we are all sharing the ball and having fun. You saw the smiles out there. That’s what it’s all about,” said Hollis-Jefferson.
Hollis-Jefferson said he felt the chemistry with his teammates immediately after coming in from his stint with Korea.
“It was just about coming out and competing. I had a couple of practices with my teammates. We were able to just feel me out and see what they like and how they play. I really just sparked that chemistry that you saw out there. It made it a lot easier for me that they welcomed me in,” said Hollis-Jefferson.
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