Moala Tautuaa. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
It’s almost a foregone conclusion that Moala Tautuaa will be this conference’s D-League MVP.
It’s also almost a lock that the Fil-Tongan big man will be the first pick in this year’s PBA Rookie Draft.
But before he can go on and possibly reap those rewards, he still needs to prove himself to one casual observer: his current coach, Cebuana Lhuillier’s Boycie Zamar.
READ: Tautuaa poised for PBA D-League MVP award
Tautuaa’s no-show for the majority part of the second half of Game 1 apparently didn’t suit well with the outspoken mentor.
“We challenged him,” he said. “We told him, ‘Mo, you have to show your teammates you’re a winner. Next time, I don’t want to see you getting hurt, you went out and never came back.”
Tautuaa rolled his ankle early in the third quarter and was taken to the dugout by a stretcher. He did not come back in the game, which the Gems lost, 82-71.
READ: Cebuana cuts Hapee, forces rubber match in PBA D-League semis
“That’s a sign of cowardness,” Zamar quipped. “At least he should’ve showed that he’s strong, asked the medics to tape his ankle and go back in. Even though we might have lost, at least he was there with us.”
READ: Tautuaa sprains ankle in Game 1 loss
The 6-foot-7 slotman, though, did a more admirable job in Game 2, playing through pain to finish with 10 points and 12 rebounds in 25 minutes of play, including the marginal basket to put the Fresh Fighters down for good.
Still, Tautuaa needs to show more grit as Cebuana face Hapee in the series decider on Monday.
“We told him, ‘You have to show your teammates that you care.’ You can have the talent, but you should also have the heart on the court,” said Zamar. CFC