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    Tab always believed Tyler Tio will do well in PBA. He explains

    Baldwin says Tio found himself in perfect situation under coach Topex at Phoenix
    Oct 20, 2022
    tab baldwin tyler tio

    TAB Baldwin is hardly surprised by the rise of Tyler Tio in the PBA.

    The Ateneo coach admitted that he has long projected the Ateneo gunner to garner success in the pro league given the skillset that he has - one that he's flashing in his rookie season with Phoenix Super LPG.

    "I really felt he'd be very good pro," he said of Tio, who was taken in the second round at 14th overall in the past PBA Rookie Draft.

    [READ: Tyler Tio's curious journey from Xavier to Ateneo to PBA]

    Tio's ascent has surprised a lot of fans as he currently averages 16.2 points on 42-percent shooting from deep, 4.7 assists. 1.5 rebounds, and 1.0 steal in 33 minutes of play through six games for the Fuel Masters.

    Yet as much as Baldwin anticipated Tio to find his footing in the PBA, he noted that Tio found himself in a great situation at Phoenix under coach Topex Robinson.

    "The timing of when the cream rises to the top, you never really know. And you do credit coach Topex for how he's used him and how he's brought him along and he's getting the best out of him now and Tyler is enjoying it," he said.

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      "But [Tyler is] obviously going to be a very, very good professional basketball player in the PBA. He's so clever and now that he can focus fully on just being a professional basketball player."

      Baldwin shared a conversation he's had with Tio wherein the 5-foot-11 guard told him how shocked he was in his transition to the pro game.

      "The last time I talked to him, he said he's surprised at how much better he's getting because he has full-time work. And we try to tell our players that the key to being a great professional is being professional, because they have the talent and so he's now realizing that," he said.

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      Robinson's adjustment from the full-court pressing teams he had at Lyceum in the college leagues to his system now in place at Phoenix was also perfect for Tio, said the former Gilas Pilipinas coach.

      "If you think of the coach Topex that I had experience with, it's the Lyceum coach and they were in your face, full-court pressure from the time you walked in the gym which obviously you can't do in the PBA.

      tyler tio

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      "I would have said Tyler's maybe not the best fit for 94-foot pressure defensive basketball team. He can do it, but it sort of takes away from his offense a little bit. But in the pace of the PBA, it suits him and Topex has been coaching in the PBA long enough now to be recognized as one of the really good coaches there," he said.

      To Baldwin, it's just a match made in heaven as Tio continues to evoke memories of his high-scoring days with Xavier back in high school.

      "I think that they will enjoy their time together and I think Topex knows how to use them and Tyler will enjoy that experience."

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