It’s just a matter of time before struggling top rookie Stephen Holt lives up to his lofty billing.
This was the belief of two head coaches and a player seeing action in the Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup.
Former Rookie of the Year winner and now champion coach/team manager Jojo Lastimosa of TNT Tropang Giga feels the 6-4 Holt is about to make a splashing showing.
“Offensively, he’s struggling,” Lastimosa told DAILY TRIBUNE in a Viber message.
“But the other parts of his game, he’s already been doing (good). He’s been defending well, he’s been doing playmaking chores and he’s been attacking. He’s not making his shots yet, but he eventually will settle down.”
A lot is expected from the 31-year-old guard, who played extensively in Europe and in the NBA G League after representing St. Mary’s in the US National Collegiate Athletic Association.
In his first two games, Holt has averaged nine points, 6-5 rebounds and 5.5 assists, figures that don’t mimic the output of two fellow Filipino-Americans being compared to him: Mikey Williams and Stanley Pringle.
But Holt’s going in the right direction.
“He didn’t play big offensively like what we wanted him to do, but he did a solid job defensively,” said veteran Dyip guard Juami Tiongson, a former Most Improved Player awardee.
Head coach Johnedel Cardel says Holt also excels in other fronts.
