Magnolia big man James Laput. –PBA IMAGES
MANILA, Philippines—He may not have been the highest scorer for Magnolia in its most recent win but James Laput more than impressed coach Chito Victolero.
Laput, who is not usually the reliable big man for the Hotshots, produced eight points and 10 rebounds in the team’s 99-95 win over Converge in the PBA On Tour on Wednesday.
“Right now, we’re at a stage where we want to develop our players and this is the time when we want James Laput to have this experience with the other guys,” Victolero said at Ynares Sports Center, Pasig.
“We want to develop these players so we can use them in the future games. That’s the role of Magnolia, after all.”
During Magnolia’s preseason run, Laput posted norms of 10 points and 11 rebounds per night.
Last conference, however, Laput was rarely used by Victolero and averaged just 2.2 points and 1.8 boards per game.
With Laput showing his true potential, Victolero is eager to see what else he can bring to the table come PBA Season 48.
“I’m very satisfied, the preparations and practice we did are showing up for him. Like I said, our goal is to build our chemistry and the progression of our players,” Victolero said in Filipino.