Defensive-minded Magnolia sees potential of import Bey
Magnolia head coach Chito Victolero believes young import Tyler Bey is barely scratching his potential with the Hotshots even after a splendid PBA debut in the team’s 110-102 win over TNT Tropang Giga in the season opener on Sunday, Nov. 5, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The 25-year-old made a great first impression, posting a stellar 31 points and 20 rebounds performance but the Hotshots coach sees him contributing more especially if he develops into a lethal two-way player.
“I think he still has a lot of adjustments (to do) on that but we’re very patient with Tyler. We keep on telling him what to do and how to help the team,” Victolero said of the youngest import amongst this conference’s batch of reinforcements.
The veteran coach pointed out the need for Bey to be more familiar with the team’s system especially on the defensive end where the Hotshots have been long known for.
“He’s an energy guy.
He has a lot of adjustment na kailangan niyang gawin. Tyler is very, very athletic. He can play both ends of the floor but I always tell him about the discipline, about the chemistry with the others because we are a defensive minded team so we need him in that system,” stressed Victolero. Bey, for his part, also sees room for improvements on his game especially after admittedly needing to shake off from jitters in the first three quarters. He finally got things going when he presided over the telling Hotshots run by dropping 15 of his total in the final frame.
“It was great. I learned how to handle adversity, the first three quarters weren’t my best but my teammates and coaching staff were there for me throughout the whole way and I really appreciated it,” said Bey.
One thing that impressed Victolero, however, aside from the innate scoring prowess of Bey, is the young forward’s willingness to learn.