The training of the Terrafirma Dyip squad may have just started but head coach Johnedel Cardel is already impressed by the performance of rookie center James Laput.
According to Cardel, the former De La Salle Green Archer has improved a lot since the last time he saw the latter.
6-foot-10 Laput was chosen by Dyip on its 8th pick in the last rookie draft.
“He’s an interesting player. Siyempre nakakatuwa, ang laki ng lineup ko ngayon (I am happy that I have a big line-up now)… Hindi siya mapigilan sa gitna kasi malaki tapos Archer siya, mabilis. Sa height n’ya, 6’10”, ang bilis niya … He improved a lot kaysa sa nakita ko two years ago na nasa La Salle siya … Maganda dahil he’s a coachable guy. He really asked na (that) ‘I want to be perfect inside’, Cardel shared.
Cardel added that with what Laput is showing during practice, it is easy to see that the rookie big man has a great future ahead of him.
“He can be June Mar (Fajardo) someday, soon, ‘di ba? Malaki potential niya. Ayoko siyang pressure-in, just give him confidence. Ganoon naman ako sa mga player ko. Binibigyan ko sila ng kumpiyansa as long as they follow the system,” Cardel added.
In the coming season of the PBA, Laput is one of the players that Dyip will rely on to patrol the paint area side by side with center Russell Escoto. – Report by Ma. Isabel Reyes/ JBB-rir
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