Photo by Tristan Tamayo/ INQUIRER.net
Being drafted is one thing, staying in the league is another.
Those were the last reminders Arellano coach Jerry Codiñera gave to his hardworking big man Lervin Flores going into the 2017 PBA Rookie Draft.
And after the 25-year-old was selected ninth overall in the annual rookie proceedings, the PBA legend is just hoping for the best for his former slotman.
“I already told him everything I needed to tell him. All I can say is for him to have good luck,” said Codiñera.
Flores averaged 10.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, and 1.3 assists in his final year with the Chiefs, solidifying his case as one of the top defensive players in the collegiate league.
But for Codiñera, who built a PBA lore on the defensive end which earned him the moniker “The Defense Minister,” establishing the same reputation in the PBA for Flores is a different story.
“The professional game is a different game. Everyone that you face there, they’re at the highest basketball level in the land. Everyone there is exemplary,” he said.
With Flores is expected to be given heavy minutes due to the lean GlobalPort frontline, Codiñera is putting the pressure on his prized big man to outwork everybody in training camp hoping that his student reach the same level he did in his heyday.
“It’s no longer developmental there. When you go to the pros, you should have mastered the fundamentals already,” he said.
“What he’ll be facing there are finished products and he shouldn’t wait for them to break down. He must learn how to develop his game on his own.”