Author: Martin Dale D. Bolima
Photo Credit: PBA
Stephen Holt is coming to his own in his new team.
Struggling for the better part of the eliminations, Holt appears to have settled into the groove for Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, averaging 13.0 points, 6 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in Ginebra’s quarterfinals sweep of the Meralco Bolts.
He was also one of the heroes in Ginebra’s Game 1 victory over the San Miguel Beermen to start their PBA Governors’ Cup semifinals, chipping in 30 points and 4 boards.
Tim Cone Praises Holt’s Defensive Mastery and Growth Within the System
Ginebra coach Tim Cone is hardly surprised. In fact, he thinks Holt is just getting started.
“I think Stephen is really starting to latch on to the system and what we do. In the beginning, it was a little difficult for him trying to find his place in what we are doing, especially on the offensive side,” Cone told reporters after Game 1. “[But] his defense has been lights out ever since we got him. He’s gotta be one of the top, if not the best defensive players in the league right now. And he can guard anybody. He can guard imports, he can guard the [Robert] Bolicks, he’s really versatile in his defense, and he works on it so hard.”
For Cone, Holt’s learning curve has been on offense, which is hardly surprising given how Ginebra runs the notoriously difficult-to-master Triangle Offense
“I thought he got kind of lost offensively early in the conference. It took him a while to figure out where and how he could be aggressive within the system that we run,” he added, “He’s now finding out a little bit more, and so he’s starting to use all of his game—his ability to get to the rim, his ability to shoot threes, his pull-up game. He’s got a lot to give, and he’s just trying to discover how to use all those weapons within what we do.”
Indeed, it looks like Holt, last season’s Rookie of the Year, is settling in nicely at Ginebra.
That has to be good news for the Barangay.
