|
KELLY Williams, without a doubt, is one of the
Philippine Basketball Association’s premier talents.
His dedication to his craft makes
him more special.
Following the Sta. Lucia
Realtors’ championship conquest in the Philippine Cup, Williams
regularly hit the gym to further develop his skills.
“He was often at the gym to
lift weights and shoot around,” related Sta. Lucia coach Boyet
Fernandez.
His effort paid off early in the
Fiesta Cup after being Smart Accel- PBA Press Corps’ first Player
of the Week.
It was the fourth such citation
for Williams for the season and being honored for the period March
29 to April 6 is much deserved.
Despite the presence of towering
imports, Williams keeps proving his award as the RP Cup’s Best
Player of the Conference was no fluke, averaging his usual
double-doubles (22 points, 10.5 rebounds) and leading the Realtors
to a 2-0 win-loss slate.
In Sta. Lucia’s 93-86 win over
Alaska last Wednesday, the 6-foot-6 Williams seemingly had no
trouble sliding over to the small forward slot from his accustomed
4-spot, tallying 17 points and 11 boards.
The 25-year-old had a game-high
27 points to go with 10 rebounds in an 88-86 squeaker over Magnolia
last Sunday, propping the Realtors to an early leadership tie with
Coca-Cola and Red Bull.
“It’s a just a statement that
he deserves the Best Player of the Conference the last time and he
is out to prove that he’s worthy of that award,” said Fernandez.
“As what I’d said in the
past, Kelly can be an all-around player both in defense and offense
and he is showing that right now for he already knows his role in
our team,” Fernandez added.
With a fine import in Wesley
Wilson and Williams and the rest of Sta. Lucia seemingly none the
worse for wear from the after-effects of their grueling RP Cup
campaign, the team can look forward of a sweep of the season’s
titles.
Fernandez cautioned that it is
still too early to tell.
He only has one firm statement on
what clearly lies on the horizon for the 2006-07 Rookie of the Year
awardee.
“Kelly is the future of Sta.
Lucia and the PBA and I’m happy and proud that we have him in our
team.”
Williams is a heavy favorite to
win the Most Valuable Player award this season after his strong
performance in the Philippine Cup.
If he does, he would be the third
Fil-American to win the coveted trophy the past five seasons after
Eric Menk and Asi Taulava.
Like Menk and Taulava, Williams
is a double-double machine. And he is quick for his size, which
gives him an advantage both offensively and defensively.
With a mean supporting cast at
the Sta. Lucia camp, Williams is expected to collect more titles and
awards in the league.
He makes no secret on what he
prefers.
“Championship is more
satisfying than an individual award because it signifies that you
are a winner,” Williams said.
|
