Push Admin

Abuda 2.0? Blackwater’s Ato Ular showing glimpses of scrappy forward, says coach

Article (news)

Rey Joble

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Blackwater coach Vanguardia likes what he’s seeing so far in newcomer forward Ato Ular (pictured). PBA Media Bureau" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/news/06/21/ato.jpg"/><figcaption>Blackwater coach Vanguardia likes what he’s seeing so far in newcomer forward Ato Ular (pictured). PBA Media Bureau</figcaption></figure></div>He may have been selected in the second round of the recent PBA Rookie Draft, but Ato Ular has been making valuable contributions to the Blackwater Bossing.Besides the added inside scoring he’s been providing and the depth he’s been giving for the Bossing up front, Ular has impressed the organization with his energy and hard work that don’t appear on the stats sheet.Even during the workouts, head coach Ariel Vanguardia had seen how the 6-foot-4 Ular has performed.“Ang sarap panoorin ni Ular sa ensayo,” Vanguardia told ABS-CBN News.During the game against NorthPort, Ular had his breakout performance in his early PBA campaign as a rookie. He finished with 17 points, five rebounds and a block and he played a pivotal role in the Bossing’s 97-90 victory over the Batang Pier.“We run no plays for him,” added Vanguardia. “Para siyang basurero. Freddie Abuda 2.0. But he makes the right decision, so teammates find him.”Known throughout his PBA career as “The Scavenger”, Abuda earned a reputation as one of those well-loved players, who were willing to do the dirty job. As a player, he won eight championships while playing for Coney Island, San Miguel Beer, and Coca-Cola.He was named the PBA Press Corps’ Defensive Player of the Year twice and was included in the All-Defensive Team four times in his career.It’s too early to tell whether Ular has the traits of Abuda, who led by example to his teammates, but Vanguardia likes what he’s seeing so far in his newcomer forward.

He may have been selected in the second round of the recent PBA Rookie Draft, but Ato Ular has been showing valuable contributions for Blackwater.