MANILA, Philippines – RJ Abarrientos may be the youngest Barangay Ginebra player, but he is blossoming into one of the most reliable ones.
Gin Kings head coach Tim Cone lauded Abarrientos for embracing his off-the-bench duty as the rookie guard starred in a 112-96 win over Phoenix that secured Ginebra its place in the quarterfinals of the PBA Governors’ Cup.
Abarrientos, 25, finished with a season-high 24 points to go with 5 rebounds and 5 assists in helping the Gin Kings bounce back from their worst loss in franchise history — a 131-82 thrashing at the hands of San Miguel.
“Right now, I’m just really proud of him because he’s really just grabbing hold on to the role of coming off the bench,” said Cone.
“He accepted it and just totally excelled in it.”
While Abarrientos is technically a rookie, his experience overseas has prepared him well for the league.
After a one-and-done stint with FEU in the UAAP, Abarrientos took his act to the Korean Basketball League, where he emerged as Rookie of the Year, then played a season in the Japan B. League before he joined the PBA.
“RJ’s not a rookie in a real sense because he’s played around, been in Korea, been in Japan. He’s played high, high level of basketball already so this is nothing new for him,” said Cone.
“In fact, he’s quickly becoming one of our role models already. He’s modeling for the rest of the players as well. He plays like a vet. He doesn’t play like a young player.”
Abarrientos said he is willing to adjust to the needs of the team as the Gin Kings, who secured their place in the quarterfinals with a 6-3 record in Group B, brace for tougher battles ahead.
“We’re going into the playoffs so we need to be deep. It shouldn’t be just the first five but also the bench. I need to be 101 percent off the bench and be the energy guy for our team,” said Abarrientos.
Ginebra hopes to end the elimination round on a high note when it tangles with NLEX on Sunday, September 22, at the Araneta Coliseum. – Rappler.com