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The NUMBERS may indicate otherwise, but Kobe Paras’ performance in the second window of the 2021 Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers was invaluable to Gilas Pilipinas in the eyes of Tab Baldwin.
Program director Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) disagreed with the idea that the second-generation star bombed in Manama and did not agree with his exaggeration with his mediocre statistics.
The reason? It is quite simple.
“We played him out of position because we needed his size and strength around the basket and he didn’t feel comfortable at all,” Baldwin said.
Paras was basically the starting power forward for the Philippines, helping guys like Justine Baltazar, Isaac Go, Will Navarro and Kemark Carino paint the paint while Gilas made full use of his 6-foot-6 ceiling.
The role change is a total departure from his position at the University of the Philippines, where he plays on the wing and is tasked with creating a role for the team that he did not have at Gilas.
“We knew we were forcing him to make an extra sacrifice by playing him out of position, but he never told us anything about it,” Baldwin said. “I think at one point in the second game, I said, ‘Kobe, go out there and play in the band now.’ And he said, ‘Thank you coach. I’m dying to do that, ‘with a smile on his face. “
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“He did his job and did the best he could. It was a burden that he carried on all of us and he never complained once.”
But it’s not that Paras didn’t realize it.
In his 19.3 minutes on the court, he only scored 3.5 points and shot 15 percent from the field, well below everyone’s expectations.
“He was always frustrated about not having better performances,” shared Baldwin.
But Gilas really appreciated the effort he put in, grabbing 5.5 rebounds as well as collecting 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals while being a solid plus-10 in his time on the court.
“As for me, his plus-minus is always good, his tough stats were always good, so he was working very hard for the team,” he said.
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For Baldwin, that alone makes Paras a Gilas keeper, regardless of what the critics say.
“Kobe’s attitude is extraordinary. He really wants to be a great player. He has an extremely competitive mentality. Obviously, from an athletic point of view, he is elite and one of the best athletes I have ever met,” said the Ateneo mentor.
Still, there are facets to the 23-year-old’s game that Baldwin sees he can still improve.
“Kobe has a lot to learn about the game and I think if you follow Kobe’s development over the years, it’s always been from a point of view that he comes in and (is asked) to be the star. He always had a great Weight of expectations, and when you add to that that Kobe can dazzle us with highlights, a lot of people get confused with highlights and quality basketball, “he said.
“That is where Kobe’s journey is longest: he is learning to be a quality basketball player in a context of what the team demands of him and playing with other elite talents. All credit to Kobe because his attitude is so good as everyone’s, “subjected to the environment, and worked extremely hard.”
“Kobe, to me, is a great long-term player for our program.”
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