MANILA, Philippines – It’s not often that young ballers of the new generation say the midrange game is their go-to option when hooping. Chris Paul and Devin Booker do their best damage in the in-between area and their Phoenix Suns have the current best record in the NBA. Perhaps it’s useful after all.
“I say DeMar DeRozan. Well, I’m a slasher and I can shoot the midrange pretty good at a high-efficient rate,” was Bayla’s answer to Rappler’s question of which NBA player he aims to model his game after. “You don’t get a lot of young ballers saying they like the midrange,” Bayla hears from the interviewer over the Zoom call. “A lot of kids nowadays just want to pop threes.”
“For college, if I ever get an opportunity to play here, like ever get an offer here like Division 1 or Division 2 , I would gladly play here, but my main goal is to play on the national team and represent my country. The Philippines is another option that’s open to me,” Bayla said. Arespacochaga, a longtime member of the Blue Eagles’ coaching staff, even recommended that Bayla play high school ball already in the Philippines, paving the way for his transition to the collegiate rank.