ARVIN Tolentino played his best game as a rookie- and Barangay Ginebra coach Tim Cone feels validated.
The rookie out of Far Eastern University scored 11 points in his third game as a PBA player, helping Barangay Ginebra pull off a 105-91 victory over Meralco on Sunday at the Angeles University Foundation Sports Arena and Cultural Center.
Cone was already high on the 6-5 forward with the wide longspan when Ginebra picked him at 10th overall in the last rookie draft. He had that 'I told you so' look in his eyes after the rookie shot 4-of-8 from the field, grabbed four rebounds and tallied one steal in 21 minutes off the bench against the Bolts.
“Arvin has talent. I’ve been saying it since the day we drafted him. He is a talented kid,” said Cone.
The Ginebra coach said he is looking to expand Tolentino’s game especially with his outside shooting, hinting that the three-point shot that the wiry player occasionally shot at FEU will become a bigger weapon at Ginebra.
“In FEU, he was more of a stretch four and he would shoot occasional threes as a trailer. We are trying to expand his game. We are trying to get him to shoot threes from different angles, move without the ball,” said Tolentino.
Cone expects the do-it-all Tolentino to blossom in Ginebra's system.
“He is not just a shooter. He can put the ball on the floor, he can rebound, he had a nice block shot today. He is very long. He is really talented. I think his game can really grow with the kind of style that we play in,” said Cone.
Once his game develops, Cone expects Tolentino to be a vital weapon for Ginebra in the years to come.
“I think he can really be an asset. I can’t imagine what he’s going to be like a year or two from now," the two-time grand slam winner said. "Just his first couple of games, he hasn’t had any practice but he is still making an impact."
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