By REYNALD MAGALLON
Barangay Ginebra guard Stephen Holt is slowly growing into his role at Ginebra as he assumes an even bigger responsibility on the defensive end as opposed to his rookie year when he was still playing with Terrafirma.
Already a good defender with the Dyip on top of being one of their most potent offensive weapons, Holt is being tasked to do more as he assumes his role of being the designated import stopper for the Kings.
The bigger role on the defensive end seemed to be taking toll on Holt’s offense through the first three games but he is finally starting to flourish with a season-best showing of 26 points, 11 rebounds and six assists in Ginebra’s 119-91 win over NLEX
More than that, Holt was more felt on the defensive end when he limited high-scoring Road Warriors import Myke Henry to just seven points through the first three quarters, allowing Ginebra to immediately jump into a big lead.
“I definitely want to set the tone defensively. We talked about that all the time and we got a tough job every night switching off between me and JB (Justin Brownlee) guarding the import,” said Holt.
One thing that Holt is beginning to learn and appreciate is the effort of making it difficult for the imports to score. The 32-year-old sophomore said he learned to not be frustrated when the opposing reinforcements score over him on defense.
“I know it’s a total team effort and I’m just gonna deny and make sure I make it difficult, force tough shots. I can’t be discouraged when the import scores, I mean, that’s their job so I just gotta keep making it difficult ,” he added.
His new role at Ginebra, according to Holt, is making him a more complete player as his defense is being highlighted in the system of head coach Tim Cone.
The 6-foot-4 guard has no qualms with that and assured that he was just ready to provide what the teams need, may it be scoring the ball or by just shadowing the opposing team imports.
“I was a good defender at Terrafirma and even with this team, it’s highlighted even more, from being able to defend the imports, being a total team player. At the end of the day I’m here to win and do what the coach wants me to do,” he added.
