FIRST, it was the Meneses-Patrimonio hybrid in Kirby Mongcopa. This time, it’s Cabs Cabonilas getting the lofty comparisons from coach Sean Chambers.
The highly-touted recruit has officially played his first preseason game for the Tamaraws, and for Chambers, he didn’t disappoint.
The former juniors MVP and Finals MVP provided nine points and nine rebounds off the bench in his first dance with the seniors squad as they rained down on the Gilas Pilipinas Youth team, 83-58.
READ: Jacob Cortez vows to hold fort for 'in-transition' La Salle squad
And while that steady production in scoring and rebounding is something that fans have come to expect from Cabonilas, the biggest difference was his position on the squad, as he played all 19 minutes in the small forward position.
And Chambers already have some legendary blueprints in mind on how he'll be using his prized rookie -- comparing him to two of the best wings back in his hey day with the PBA —Vergel Meneses and Kenneth Duremdes.
“Their length, their size, he has that. He has a great feel for the game. And we want to encourage him to shoot the three ball as much as possible when he sees it," Chambers said.
“[Meneses] was actually my favorite non-Alaska player. And that's when I see him, as Vergel in his heydays. Like Kenneth Duremdes, in a sense. And this guy practices so hard, too."
That's why Chambers is hellbent on using Cabonilas as a wing, not as a four-guy when he was suiting up for the Baby Tamaraws as the American mentor believes that's where Cabonilas will truly polish.
“A lot of the high school season, he played with his back at the basket, the number four position. So today he was purely the three-guard. And so I feel that's gonna take him to the next level. He’s able to do things off the dribble," he said.
“But my motto, like everybody else, is I'm going to empower them. I'm going to tell them to reach for greatness, set the expectations high for them and then let them do the rest.”
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