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    Amid excitement over recruits, let's not forget Kobe Paras is still UP's best piece

    COMMENTARY: UP Maroons' fate still hinges on how fast Kobe develops into the player he can be
    Sep 20, 2020
    commentary

    HYPE couldn't be any higher for University of the Philippines, given the boatload of new recruits the UAAP team got in the offseason.

    By securing valuable assets in the recruitment wars, State U positioned itself to be a legitimate contender in the years to come.

    But before anyone get too excited over the glimmer of the Fighting Maroons' new pieces, don't forget who the top gun is.

    It's still Kobe Paras.

    The second-generation star, who turned 23 on Saturday, proved that he truly is the man in Diliman, silencing his doubters while also captivating the fans with his sheer talent and athleticism.

    Those who questioned the kind of player he is after his teenage years in the US were shushed by his performance in UAAP Season 82 which validated his stature as the face of the UP Maroons and among the best young players the league, if not in the country.

    His numbers speak for themselves: 16.1 points on 34-percent shooting, to go with 5.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 1.1 steals.

    And oh yeah, those jaw-dropping, rim-rattling dunks also didn't hurt his reputation.

    If his performance last season for UP was any indication, he already has a solid foundation. And he's bound to be better as the years go, both at Diliman and as one of the building blocks for Gilas Pilipinas.

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    He was nothing short of efficient as he led the Fighting Maroons to the two-seed in the stepladder semifinals, the first time the crew gained twice-to-beat advantage in the Final Four era.

    But like any young talent, the son of legend Benjie Paras remains rough around the edges and there's still a lot he can improve on. Pundits say he can still be a better shooter, a better defender, and of course, a better leader. They are right on all three.

    That doesn't mean that Kobe hasn't done some growing up on his own.

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      Just consider what coach Bo Perasol said after UP's exit last season.

      "I was telling Kobe that my personal goal for you, my championship for you is if you are not going to be the same Kobe that they had perceived you to be before you came to UP," the soft-spoken mentor said.

      "You will be my championship despite the fact that we will not be able to win this in the league. So we finished it with him. I don't think there was a time that he showed his old self and he has admitted that. He led our prayers there and said this thing that really changed him. For me as a coach, that's just my biggest victory. If I could count that, and I would count that, as a biggest victory this season."

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      The 6-foot-6 forward truly embodied that change through the course of last season, learning not to mind the haters and focus on those who matter most to him, all the while being grateful for the community which welcomed him with open arms.

      "I’ve learned to love myself and be more appreciative of what I have instead of wanting more things," he said back then. "And I think that’s a lesson for a lot of people in this world, that you have to be grateful for what you have and you can’t be fishing for stuff you don’t have."

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        Paras has the world at his feet, and once he develops and further matures, which definitely will happen, it won't be far off until we see UP back in the championship round.

        And there's just one guy we expect to be the head of that snake: the kid named after the Black Mamba.

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