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NLEX rookie Enoch Valdez sets new goal to be part of Gilas

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Champ de Lunas, ABS-CBN News

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C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></a></div><div style="padding-top:8px"><div style="color:#3897f0;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:550;line-height:18px"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C0bN8aSBF0O/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="background:#FFFFFF;line-height:0;padding:0 0;text-align:center;text-decoration:none;width:100%" target="_blank">View this post on Instagram</a></div></div><div style="padding:12.5% 0"> </div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;margin-bottom:14px;align-items:center"><div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;height:12.5px;width:12.5px;transform:translateX(0px) translateY(7px)"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;height:12.5px;transform:rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px);width:12.5px;flex-grow:0;margin-right:14px;margin-left:2px"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;height:12.5px;width:12.5px;transform:translateX(9px) translateY(-18px)"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:8px"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;flex-grow:0;height:20px;width:20px"> </div><div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:2px solid transparent;border-left:6px solid #f4f4f4;border-bottom:2px solid transparent;transform:translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:auto"><div style="width:0px;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-right:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(16px)"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;flex-grow:0;height:12px;width:16px;transform:translateY(-4px)"> </div><div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-left:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(-4px) translateX(8px)"> </div></div></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:1;justify-content:center;margin-bottom:24px"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;margin-bottom:6px;width:224px"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;width:144px"> </div></div><div style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:17px;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:8px;overflow:hidden;padding:8px 0 7px;text-align:center;text-overflow:ellipsis;white-space:nowrap"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C0bN8aSBF0O/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:17px;text-decoration:none" target="_blank">A post shared by EV2 (@enoch_valdez2)</a></div></div></blockquote><div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>MANILA -- After playing his final game with Lyceum of the Philippines University in the NCAA last Friday, Enoch Valdez is officially a PBA player, signing a two-year deal with the NLEX Road Warriors the day after.</p><p>Signing his name on the dotted line means he won&#x27;t play for Lyceum&#x27;s battle for third place game against De La Salle-College of St. Benilde on Sunday.</p><p>Fulfilling his dream to become a PBA player, Valdez has set a new goal for himself --to play for the Gilas Pilipinas men&#x27;s basketball team.</p><p>&quot;Pangarap ko maglaro ng Gilas, &#x27;yun talaga bro. &#x27;Yun &#x27;yung goal ko ngayon ulit. I mean nasa PBA ako focus... pero &#x27;yung mag-set ulit ako ng goal na ita-try ko. Alam ko naman mahirap pero di ba kaya nga tayo nagaano ng goal eh para may motivation.&quot; said the Pangasinense native.</p><p>&quot;&#x27;Yun &#x27;yung pangarap ko mag-Gilas.&quot; he firmly told ABS-CBN News.</p><p>Coach Frankie Lim would have wanted him to play last Sunday after signing but there wasn&#x27;t enough time to get his medical tests done. </p><p>Valdez has always grinded to earn his minutes in Lyceum -- and he vowed to stick to his work ethic to establish himself in the pro ranks, not wanting a short-lived career. </p><p>&quot;Tatrabahuin ko &#x27;yan. Kung hindi niya ako gamitin, pero tatrabahuin ko. Mas ramdam ko &#x27;yung feeling na tinrabaho ko &#x27;yung minutes ko. Sa akin bro gusto ko talaga na ma-establish ko ng maayos &#x27;yung pangalan ko. Ayoko yung magiging player ako na after 3 years, 4 years, 5 years wala na. Gusto ko long-term, gusto ko ma-establish ko agad,&quot; he said.</p><p>Before getting ahead of himself, he knows the task in front of him are the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters on Friday. </p><p>He believes he is more of a complete player now compared to when he was just applying for the draft, with improvements made to his game. &quot;Para sa akin siguro &#x27;yung mga decision-making ko kahit papaano nag-improve na din and &#x27;yung mga shot selection though nagmimintis. Pero &#x27;yun talaga &#x27;yung mga tira kong gusto ko eh,&quot; he said.</p><p>The former King Pirate understands why he was drafted and he plans to showcase it on Friday. &quot;Alam mo naman sa depensa talaga ako kumukuha ng kumpyansa talaga,&quot; he said.</p><p>With Rain or Shine loaded with different scorers, he is excited to put the clamps on star guard Rey Nambatac. &quot;(Kay) Kuya Rey ako kasi close ko &#x27;yang si Kuya Rey and nagsama kami niyan sa Letran. Sarap sa pakiramdam na mabantayan ko siya na diba?&quot; he said.</p><p>Valdez and the Road Warriors will avoid tying the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the team standings on Friday at 4 p.m. at the Philsports Arena in Pasig. Rain or Shine holds a 1-5 win loss card, while NLEX has a 2-4 record. </p>

After playing his final game with the Lyceum Pirates in the NCAA last Friday, Enoch Valdez is officially a PBA player signing a two-year deal with the NLEX Road Warriors last Saturday morning.

NLEX rookie Enoch Valdez sets new goal to be part of Gilas

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NLEX rookie Enoch Valdez sets new goal to be part of Gilas

Champ de Lunas,

ABS-CBN News

Published Dec 07, 2023 06:25 PM PHT

|

Updated Dec 07, 2023 06:27 PM PHT

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Enoch Valdez

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