By Brian Yalung
One of the big names that got attention from the last PBA Philippine Cup was TNT Tropang Giga rookie Mikey Williams.
The 30-year-old played a key role for his team in winning the title and was eventually named the 2021 PBA Finals MVP after averaging 27.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in the best of seven duel with the Magnolia Hotshots.
Throughout the conference, there was no question that the 6-foot-2 Fil-American was a difference-maker for Tropang Giga.
But even before he entered Philippine soil, Williams was already someone who has been making waves elsewhere. That includes the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) where the former Cal State-Fullerton guard played from 2017-18.
One of his teammates during that ABL run was veteran basketball player Akeem Scott. Both teamed up for the Saigon Heat and the 39-year-old has been keeping tabs with the progress of Williams.
Scott shared some interesting points and experiences with the PBA rookie, branding him as a high-octane player when he appeared on the Sports For All PH podcast.
“Mikey [Williams] is a high-octane shooter. If Mikey gets going, it’s going to be a very long night for the other team,” Scott said.
“What makes him so dangerous is not only can he shoot, he can also create his own shot. That’s the most dangerous thing in the game… That is one of Mikey’s greatest strengths. He doesn’t need a system. It’s like getting the ball to Mike and getting out of his way and letting him go to work,” the New York native added.
Scott admits that Williams has gotten better since their last team-up. When asked to comment on suggestions that the TNT rookie could make the NBA, the 39-year-old agreed.
“I would say that his shot is definitely there. And that is all you really need. So a lot of people don’t understand this. To get to the NBA, you really need to do just one thing really well. If you can do that one thing consistently, you can be in the NBA. Mikey can definitely be a shooter in the NBA. So definitely I can agree with that coach,” Scott said.
For now, the focus of Williams is helping TNT win another PBA title under the watch of Tropang Giga head coach Chot Reyes.
TNT’s import for the 2021 PBA Governors’ Cup will be McKenzie Moore. -rir
