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Sacramento Kings player development coach Jimmy Alapag says Kevin Quiambao’s camp should have done things differently to boost the 24-year-old’s chances of being considered by NBA teams
MANILA, Philippines – Sacramento Kings player development coach Jimmy Alapag lamented not being able to help Kevin Quiambao when the young forward came to the United States in hopes of landing an NBA Summer League spot.
Alapag said Quiambao’s camp should have done things differently to boost the 24-year-old’s chances of being considered by NBA teams.
“This is not blaming Kevin at all. I do think whoever is helping him should have probably planned better in terms of reaching out to different NBA teams and front offices and saying, ‘We have this unbelievable young Filipino talent. He has been an import around Asia and Korea. He has one of the best amateur players here at home. How can we get an opportunity for him to be seen, possibly by your coach, your front office?’” Alapag told Power and Play With Noli Eala on Saturday, August 2.
“There is a very direct process to how that all works and I felt bad that I wasn’t in a position to help him because when he reached out and said, ‘Hey, I’m here in Sacramento. I’d love to work out and try to make the team.’ The team had already been put together. So that was the unfortunate part.”
Quiambao, who plays for the Goyang Sono Skygunners in the Korean Basketball League, flew to Sacramento on July 3, just a week prior to the start of the Summer League in Las Vegas.
By that time, the Kings had already determined their roster for the tournament.
According to Alapag, he got in contact with Quiambao last January, with the former La Salle star saying he was already set for workouts with other NBA teams for the summer.
“He had reached out to me back in January of this year and he just said, ‘Hey, coach.’ And I reached out to him calm, and I told Kevin, ‘First and foremost, congrats on all your success with the MVP at La Salle and displaying your talent in Korea.’ I said, ‘I think it’s great.’ I said, ‘Best of luck to you,’” Alapag said.
“And he expressed to me, he said, ‘Hey, coach, I have workouts in the NBA, have NBA workouts in the summertime in June.’ And that was all he said. So I was under the impression that whoever is a part of Kevin and his team, they had spoken to other NBA teams and front offices and had arranged for him to be seen… He reached out later on in May and said, ‘Hey coach, I’m going to be in Sacramento.’ So again, it was very brief. I said, ‘Hey Kevin, when you come to Sacramento, please reach out.’”
“When he finally reached out, this was the end of June, I believe, or early July. And by this time, the draft was at the end of June. Our front office and coach Doug Christie and some other coaches already had an idea of who our Summer League team were going to be. And when Kevin came out, it was like, ‘Hey coach, I’m ready for any workouts. I hope I can try to make the team.’ And at that point, being an assistant on the Summer League staff for one, I don’t have any say as far as who and who isn’t on our roster,” Alapag added.
While he failed to crack the Kings’ Summer League roster, Quiambao worked out with with five other NBA teams, according to Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone.
However, those workouts did not bear fruit and Quiambao returned to the Philippines to reunite with the national team for the upcoming FIBA Asia Cup.
For Alapag, this was not the end of the road for Quiambao as he hopes to see the young star continue to seek more opportunities abroad in the future.
“He is young and I commend him for seeking out these opportunities here, Summer League, G League, potentially the NBA in the future. He just has to continue to keep working so that when that time comes, when he does get an opportunity… he is the best Kevin Quiambao that he can be.” – Rappler.com
