A daunting task welcomes Stephen Holt in his first ever PBA finals stint.
Last season's Rookie of the Year will most probably be assigned to take on Best Import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson in the Kings' best-of-seven title series against defending Governors Cup champion TNT beginning Sunday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
Hollis-Jefferson, a first round pick in the 2015 NBA draft, is playing solid games again in his return with the Tropang Giga, averaging 28 points, 12.8 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 2.8 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game for the entire conference.
In the semifinals against Rain or Shine, the product of University of Arizona averaged close to a triple double with 26.2 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 7.2 assists, along with 3.8 steals and 2.2 block shots as the Tropang Giga booted out the Elast Painters in their best-of-seven series, 4-1.
Now Holt will have his hands on trying to slow down the rampaging TNT import.
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"I don't know if I can get the first crack at Rondae or JB (Justine Brownlee). But obviously it's going to be a mix between us," said the sophomore guard, who submitted numbers of 14.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in the six games he played in the semis against San Miguel Beer.
The 32-year-old Holt has nothing but respect for Hollis-Jefferson, who steered the Tropang Giga to the Governors' Cup title last year.
"He's a great player. You can't stop him, you just have to limit his touches, and make shots difficult," said the Ginebra player, acquired just at the start of the season in a trade with Terrafirma Dyip.
Still, it's not about him against Hollis-Jefferson, but the entire Ginebra team helping each other out in a bid to contain the deadly TNT import.
"It's going to be a total team effort. They're (Tropang Giga) a totally different team compared to San Miguel. It's going to be a tough task, but we're very excited," said Holt.
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This will be Holt's initial foray in the PBA finals, but won a championship in his last season playing in Europe with the CEZ Nymburk in the Czech NBL.
"My last championship was in 2017. So it's been a long time. I've come in second place so many times in Europe, and so I just kind of use that as motivation especially here," he stressed.(RG)
