HK coach lauds Standhardinger’s toughness: ‘He’s a brave guy’

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BANGKOK — Of all the things Christian Standhardinger brings to the table for Hong Kong Eastern Sports Club, coach Edu Torres lauded the Heritage Import’s toughness through the first three games in the 2018 Asean Basketball League.

“The way he faces every game, he’s a brave guy. That’s impressive to me,” the Spanish mentor said.

Showcasing the Filipino grit and his no-nonsense approach, Standhardinger has been good as advertised as he leads the defending champions’ bid to repeat.

On Friday, Hong Kong rose to 3-0 thanks to Standhardinger’s 40-point explosion in a 112-105 win over Mono Vampire.

Torres is aware of the anticipation the Filipino fans have for Standhardinger, who was picked first by San Miguel Beer in the 2017 PBA Rookie Draft.

But that’s the least of his concerns with Hong Kong focused on the ABL season.

“I don’t want to talk about (the hype surrounding Standhardinger). I just want to talk about my guys, this game, and the next games,” he said.

“The team is above anyone of us. And though we’re 3-0, all of us, we have to improve everything. All I can say is the guys work hard and I want to say hard work pays off.”