ROOKIE Raphael Cu is slowly gaining the trust of coach Tim Cone at Barangay Ginebra.
The 6-foot-4 freshman played extended minutes in the Kings' 90-87 come-from-behind victory over Blackwater in Sunday's PBA Commissioner's Cup primarily in the absence of starting forward Jamie Malonzo.
And from the looks of it, Cone obviously likes what he saw.
The champion coach complimented Cu for doing things not exactly reflected on the stats sheet and helped the Kings overhaul a 17-point first half deficit to book their third win in four outings for a share of second place with Phoenix and Meralco,
"We all love Ralph. His demeanor is fantastic for a guy that's coming off the bench. He's a super nice guy," said Cone of the team's second round pick (no. 23 overall) in the last rookie draft.
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With Malonzo out with a wrist injury, Cu came off the bench and played close to 17 minutes - his longest stint yet in his young pro career.
While he failed to buy a basket - going 0-for-2 from the field - he added two rebounds and held the fort inside along with the other Barangay Ginebra big men opposite the Bossing.
"He's quiet, but he's got a good eye. He sees the floor really well, he makes nice passes, and he makes really good decisions," added Cone. "That's what you want coming out from his position."
Of course, the Barangay Ginebra coach is very familiar with what exactly Cu could bring to the table, having been part of the Kings' PBA 3x3 team last season under coach Kirk Collier.
"He's a great shooter, but he also makes really good decisions especially on the defensive side as well," said Cone of Cu, who incidentally, was a teammate of Malonzo with the La Salle Green Archers.
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With the rookie forward cracking the Ginebra rotation early this season, Cu is expected to earn more playing minutes from Cone.
"I think you're going to see a lot more of him as we go forward," said the 65-year-old mentor. (RG)
