During his two-year stay with National University, Dave Ildefonso had a reputation as a pure scorer.
In 28 games played, the 6-foot guard averaged a whopping 16.17 points.
But his efforts did not result in wins for the Bulldogs.
Now in Ateneo, Ildefonso’s scoring has gone down to 11.33 points in nine games played. But he has started to rack up the assists, averaging 3.56 assists so far – including dishing out a team-high five assists during their game against University of the East on Tuesday.
And for Ildefonso, Tab Baldwin’s system has taught him how to be an efficient player even if he is struggling from the field.
“I think with regards to my development as a playmaker, it’s the system that we have in Ateneo is different (compared to NU).
“Coach Tab and the coaches do a good job in telling us where to look, where the open spots are in certain situations. And I’m just thankful for the solid coaching staff that we have. All credit goes to them,” said the 22-year-old second generation cager.
Baldwin, though, believes that Ildefonso has yet to learn how to strike a balance.
“We are seeing Dave evolve a lot as a player.
“We all know he could score the ball. And, probably, we are seeing some of the inefficiencies he has in scoring is because he is trying to evolve into a guy that plays a complete game of basketball,” said the American-Kiwi head coach, who is trying to steer the Blue Eagles to a fourth straight UAAP crown.
“I don’t think he is still not quite settled mentally out there on the floor all the time as to know whether he is looking for the pass, execution of the offense, or the shot. I think it will come and he will settle down into that and we’ll see the complete game,” he continued.
And it could be seen during their game against the Red Warriors.
Ildefonso went just 2-of-10 from the field in the game. Moreover, he was not able to go to the line during the 18 minutes he was on the floor.
“Dave, I think, is making big sacrifices in trying to become a complete player.
“I get on him sometimes about looking for his shot more, but he has to go through this process of figuring out his decision-making. He has great court vision and that’s why you are seeing the assists. We just need him to really understand each situation and be more a little bit of a scorer when the opportunities present themselves. We have no complaints,” Baldwin continued.
Ildefonso still has one year of eligibility left with Ateneo.
And as the days go by, the former Gilas coach believes that Ildefonso’s goal of becoming a complete player will come to fruition by the end of the year. Maybe, he might turn out to be a generational talent.
“We know that this is an evolution of a very talented player. We are seeing it right before our eyes and I think the end product is going to be exceptional.”
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