KEVIN Quiambao, hands down, is the best collegiate player in the country today.
But ever imagined that 6-foot-7 forward being La Salle’s lead playmaker?
Well, you might no longer need to, as it could be a real possibility this UAAP Season 87.
“One of the things that KQ wants is he wants to be a point guard,” bared coach Topex Robinson. “So just to excite him and get him out of his comfort zone is something that we’re willing to experiment with.”
Think of it as somewhat of a point forward, much closer to what LeBron James has been doing for pretty much his entire career.
It’s also not that wild of a proposition given Quiambao has always had that playmaking badge in his bag. Last season, he was actually the second-best dimer for the Green Archers, dishing out 6.0 assists per game - and a lot of those were dazzling ones.
Robinson admitted that the need to find a reliable point guard is one of the hurdles that the defending champions are coming face-to-face with, especially after the graduations of Evan Nelle and Mark Nonoy.
Transferees Kean Baclaan and Jacob Cortez are more than equipped to fill those absences, but they’re still on redshirt year and will only be eligible by next year.
That’s why the immediate solution of Quiambao playing at 1 has been discussed and even tried a number of times in the preseason buildup.
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And it’s a goal that the reigning UAAP MVP has committed to heading into this new campaign.
“[Yung focus ko ngayon is] more on playmaking dahil last year meron kaming Evan Nelle at Mark Nonoy na nag-iinitiate ng offense namin. This year, ibang storya,” Quiambao said.
“So far, malaki yung team namin so yung focus ko is to make plays for them, bigyan ko sila ng guide, na ako yung mag-initiate at sila na ang bahala.”
Robinson, however, said that Quiambao playing the point is just one of their options with rookie Doy Dungo also emerging to be a steady hand at the wheel. especially after his performance in the Green Archers’ championship run in the World University Basketball Series in Japan.
“We never imagined Doy Dungo being a point guard until we tried it in Japan which didn’t fail us,” said the soft-spoken mentor. “Obviously, he’s gonna have his hard times, but try to imagine for someone who’s gonna be with our program for the next five years and having that kind of expanding his value, it’s just great for us.”
It also helps that Robinson has a luxury of assets with JC Macalalag transitioning smoothly into a guard, while also having other backcourt players like Matthew Rubico and Lian Ramiro at his disposal.
That’s why as challenging as replacing the Nelles and the Nonoys have been, it’s a task that the Taft side has relished taking head-on.
“With adversity comes opportunity. What was challenging came to be an opening for others,” Robinson said. “Yes, there’s gonna be challenges but we will find ways.”
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