RAIN or Shine star Adrian Nocum came to the defense of Scottie Thompson after the Gilas Pilipinas guard drew criticism despite the Philippines’ dramatic 82-81 overtime victory over Jordan on Friday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
In a Facebook post, Nocum backed the veteran guard with a simple message.
“Hindi nila nakikita yung depensa mo idol,” said Nocum.
The comment came after Thompson found himself under scrutiny for a costly five-second inbound violation with 9.7 seconds left in regulation, which gave Jordan another chance to steal the game.
But Nocum pointed to the part of Thompson’s performance that may not have shown up on the stat sheet – his defense.
With Thompson primarily tasked to defend Jordan star Jalen Harris, the high-scoring guard struggled badly after the second quarter, shooting just 3-of-16 from the field through overtime.
Thompson finished with only one point, but he also contributed six rebounds, three assists and a steal while posting a team-best defensive impact. He also finished second on Gilas in plus-minus at +13.
Gilas coach Tim Cone likewise defended Thompson, saying his contributions often get overlooked because of his limitations as a shooter and occasional mistakes.
And Nocum’s message essentially echoed that sentiment – the box score may not tell the whole story, especially when it comes to Thompson’s defense.
Gilas will now turn its attention to Iran on Sunday, looking to build on its thrilling win over Jordan. (Jesus Nathaniel Valdez)
The post Adrian Nocum defends idol Scottie Thompson against criticisms first appeared on Fastbreak.
