RJ Abarrientos won Rookie of the Year in the KBL two seasons ago, can he repeat the same feat in the PBA with Brgy. Ginebra?
RJ Abarrientos was easily among the most intriguing prospects to come in the PBA this season, for a lot of reasons.
For one, his family name carries significant weight in the PBA.
Aside from that, Abarrientos has been on a bit of an international tour before ultimately finding himself back home in the PBA.
After just one season in the UAAP with FEU, RJ spent his first two seasons as a professional basketball player in Korea and Japan, playing in the KBL and B.League respectively.
While his B.League stint with the Shinshu Brave Warriors left a lot to be desired, his initial foray into international hoops in Korea showed a lot of promise.
Playing for a perennial powerhouse in Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus, Abarrientos helped lead the team to the playoffs, even winning Rookie of the Year in the process.
Now in the PBA, RJ’s first conference with Brgy. Ginebra is not even done yet.
But after his first regular elimination round, Abarrientos is quietly having a strong start as he is second among rookies in scoring, and third within his team in Ginebra.
He is also second among rookies in assists, and first in steals. With that being said, how do his Philippine numbers stack up so far compared to Japan and Korea?
You be the judge.
RJ Abarrientos stats:
KBL - 13.3 points, 4.8 assists, 2.8 rebounds, 1.3 steals (Rookie of the Year)
B.LEAGUE - 7.8 points, 1.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists
PBA - 14.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.3 steals (Governors’ Cup elims only, season ongoing)