He has yet to play a single minute in the Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner's Cup, but Cameron Krutwig is already getting rave reviews from Blackwater.
Bossing head coach Ariel Vanguardia yesterday gave his American import a perfect 10 based on his performance in their preseason games.
"I give him a perfect 10, of course. I stand by my choice of import," Vanguardia told Daily Tribune.
Vanguardia said Krutwig is not a typical import who can light up the scoreboard to be effective.
He said Krutwig may not be as strong or as flashy as other reinforcements, but he gets the job done by making his teammates look good.
In their four preseason games, in fact, the 6-foot-9 slotman did a tremendous job running the floor and scanning the court to find the open men.
The Bossing lost to guest team Bay Area Dragons twice but won over amateur team Marinerong Pilipino in their first three friendly duels in preparation for the midseason conference that starts on 21 September at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Vanguardia said he liked what he saw.
"He is not a typical import. He is not flashy or high scoring," Vanguardia said, adding that Krutwig is a perfect fit for them because they have been running European brand of basketball since the Philippine Cup early this year.
"He is a point center who perfectly fits our system because we've been trying to play European type of game since last conference. He makes his teammates better."
True enough, Krutwig is an ultimate team player.
He led Loyola University Chicago to the NCAA Final Four in 2018 in which they fell prey to future National Basketball Association stalwarts Moritz Wagner and Jordan Poole of the Michigan Wolverines.
In that game, he fired 17 points on 7-of-11 field goal shooting, but the Ramblers still suffered a 57-69 defeat.
Vanguardia said with Krutwig around, their gunners like JV Casio and Baser Amer will have a good time sniping from the perimeter.
"With a passing import like him, it will make us get the best shots available," said Vanguardia, who guided the Bossing to a quarterfinal finish in the Philippine Cup.
"Our offense is designed to get better shots so Krutwig is really perfect for us.?
"I just hope we can sustain it."
