He's getting his big break, and he is making the most out of it.
If the PBA were to give out awards for the PBA On Tour, center James Laput of the Magnolia Hotshots will probably net quite the haul—beginning with Most Improved Player and a slot at the Mythical Team.
After all, Laput is putting up a double-double of 13.4 points and 11.0 rebounds per game, to go along with 2.6 dimes and 1.0 blocks. He has also recorded a double-double in each of the eight games he has played, illustrating an undeniable consistency for someone who is only now getting some meaningful minutes on a consistent basis.
And, on Thursday’s episode of One Sports’ The Game, the 6-foot-10 slot man got honest as to the exact moment he realized he was finally settling in a good groove as Magnolia’s most unlikely anchor in the paint.
“One of the big moments was when guys started passing me the ball,” Laput told The Game hosts Paolo del Rosario and Diego Dario. “They’re passing it to me. It’s my teammates trusting me more now ‘cause they saw me put the work in day in and day out.”
Laput’s honesty is refreshing, as he also alludes to his previous struggles with catching the rock as the reason his Magnolia teammates were reluctant to pass him the ball in the first place.
“Before, they would just take that shot, go for that lay-up. But now that they’ve seen what I can do, they see that ‘Oh, I can dump it to James down there, I can go for a shot fake and pass it in’ like Jio [Jalalon] does because now I can actually catch it.”
He is catching the rock, all right. But he is certainly doing a heck of lot more for the Hotshots.