Blue Eagles team manager Epok Quimpo confirmed Kouame did not require surgery to remedy his ailment, although the rehabilitation has been a process that’s taken a little bit of a toll on the big man both physically and mentally. “He seemed okay in the preparation games although his fitness is not at a 100% yet. He’s still carrying more weight than I would like and that’s not good for the knee. We’ll just have to kind of play it by ear,” Baldwin told Rappler.
Although his statistical contributions played a major role in determining Kouame as the league MVP last UAAP season, his impact on the basketball floor goes beyond the numbers. “[Ange] said, ‘I just have to do a better job of putting it out of my mind,’” said Baldwin, sharing the mental-related challenges his starting big has faced.
“If he can compete against a lot of the other foreign players, which I think he’s capable of, then that gives us a chance to use Ange [less], to maybe stretch him out a little bit in the season, and get more 100% games out of him.” The offseason saw promising development for Chiu, who displayed a more aggressive attack in the paint during the Blue Eagles’ WUBS performances. He was effective on the boards, although his finishing around the rim and mid-range game could use improvement.
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