Tondo to Takeoff: Adrian Nocum Is the PBA’s Most Exciting Star

A total of eleven teams passed up the opportunity of drafting Adrian Nocum, the last player to be selected in the second round of the 2023 PBA Rookie Draft.

These squads believed Nocum was just a typical hopeful trying his luck to make it to the big league, but they didn’t know what they were about to miss.

Selected 24th overall by Rain or Shine, the former Mapua Cardinal proved he belonged with the big boys’ club as he quickly made a splash while trying out for a roster spot with the Elasto Painters.

“Wala halos pumapansin sa kanya, but saw what he is capable of doing when we were watching him in the MPBL while playing for San Juan,” said assistant coach Caloy Garcia, also the head of basketball operations of the Elasto Painters.

To others, Nocum was a second-round gamble. To Rain or Shine, he was a player hiding in plain sight.

The signs were there long before he wore the Elasto Painters jersey. Before he became one of the PBA’s most explosive young guards, Nocum was a kid from Tondo who moved to a different rhythm. Basketball was not even his first love. Dancing was, as initially reported by SPIN.ph.

For years, he became part of the Sto. Niño festivities in Tondo, a tradition that eventually became a personal panata. The footwork, body control, rhythm, and discipline that fans now see whenever he changes direction in the open court were shaped long before he became a professional basketball player.

In many ways, the court simply became another stage.

Blessed with athleticism and a burst of speed, traits that made him tailor fit for the Elasto Painters, Nocum immediately made a huge impact right from the get-go and it was only a matter of time before he would become one of the league’s most exciting players to watch.

Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao knows what a real talent is when he sees one. Through the years, the seven-time PBA champion coach was able to handle special players like Nelson Asaytono, Vergel Meneses, Willie Miller and Paul Lee.

“Nakitaan talaga namin siya ng special talent,” added Guiao. “Nakita namin na fit yung skill set niya doon sa itinatakbo ng team namin.”

“We also saw na hindi pa siya napapansin masyado, so nakuha namin siya at No.24. Ibig sabihin, ang daming lumagpas, pero yung time na kinuha namin siya, naglalaro pa siya sa San Juan sa MPBL. Hinintay namin siya, nagtyaga pa kami at hindi namin agad kasi gusto naming ma-experience niya yung chance na manalo ng championship.”

At that time, San Juan was making a deep run for the championship, but fell short. Pampanga went on to win the national finals.

That MPBL experience mattered. Nocum was not coming in as a raw rookie who only had college reps to lean on. After making his mark with Mapua, where he became one of the Cardinals’ top producers in NCAA Season 98, he stayed with San Juan and proved he could handle older, stronger, and more physical competition. The decision meant giving up his remaining eligibility as a Cardinal, but it also accelerated his growth.

By the time Rain or Shine finally brought him in, Nocum had already been hardened by a different kind of basketball education.

But as soon as Nocum joined the Elasto Painters, the high-flying guard made an immediate impact, capturing the attention of younger generation fans and providing the spunk the youthful Elasto Painters needed.

“Naalala ko, first game ko pa lang and San Miguel agad yung kalaban, naglalaro ako kahit nung crucial stretch. Grabe yung kumpiyansang ibinibigay kaagad sa akin ni Coach Yeng,” said Nocum.

“Sobrang laki ng itinulong sa akin na napunta ako sa Rain or Shine. Nabibigyan ako ng playing time, nakakapaglaro ako.”

That debut came against San Miguel, the type of opponent that can make a rookie second guess his decisions. Nocum did the opposite. He scored, attacked, absorbed contact, and stayed on the floor during important minutes. For a player who had just finished his MPBL commitment and was only beginning to understand the pace of the PBA, it was an early sign that the moment would not overwhelm him.

Getting the exposure was an understatement as Nocum has been providing more than just the spark needed in the backcourt of this injury-riddled squad that saw Felix Pangilinan-Lemetti, Keith Datu, rookie Jun Roque and even Caelan Tiongson, sidelined for a while, in recovery.

When you see a player standing around six feet tall and shooting over a 7-foot-3 former NBA veteran in Bol Bol, the prized import of TNT, and finishing the break with an array of moves to complete a transition play, then you have a personality who is so exciting to watch.

He does not need a runway to attack. One gap is enough. One defender leaning the wrong way is enough. One loose ball, one rebound, one sudden change of pace, and he is already downhill, bringing with him the kind of energy that can wake up an arena.

Scottie Thompson had his moments five years ago, but injuries and the wear and tear from the number of games he churned out, both while playing for Barangay Ginebra and Gilas Pilipinas, have certainly slowed him down. Here comes a spitfire young, athletic guard who shows no fear whenever he attacks the basket.

Nocum’s athleticism is coupled with swagger, and that has made him endearing to the new generation of PBA fans, who have waited for a fresh breed of player in the mold of electrifying cagers.

This young player out of Tondo has an inspiring background, a typical rags-to-riches story who is now embracing stardom. More than that, he is now drawing comparisons to some of those high-flying players who took flight during the PBA’s glorious years.

“There had been comparisons on Vergel or Samboy, but the big difference in the game of Adrian is his speed, coupled by athleticism,” said Garcia.

“Sina Samboy and Vergel kasi, more on finesse. Exciting panoorin, but in Adrian’s case, meron pa siyang burst of speed.”

Guiao, who coached Meneses and saw his teams battle against Lim’s San Miguel Beermen in the early 90s, believes the only disadvantage of Nocum is his height.

“Mas maliit kasi si Adrian sa kanila. With Samboy, I think Samboy’s vertical leap is extraordinary kasi ang taas talaga and kapag bumitbit siya ng bola kaya ng isang kamay. Si Adrian, kapag hawak niya ng isang kamay, ibinabalik niya pa para dalawang kamay ang hawak. But Adrian’s speed is his big advantage,” said Guiao.

Garcia agreed with Guiao’s observation and they even had a more logical analysis on Nocum’s game that will make him a cut above the rest.

“If he can add a consistent three-ball or outside shooting, ang sabi nga ni Coach Yeng, there’s a big chance that Adrian could win an MVP award in the future,” added Garcia.

Nocum already has the tools that cannot be taught easily. He has the first step. He has the courage to challenge length. He has the instinct to turn broken plays into transition chances. He has the confidence to create. He has the crowd appeal. But the difference between being a dangerous slasher and becoming a true franchise-level star will come down to whether defenders eventually have to respect him from all three levels.

Nocum’s numbers have gotten better and better in his first three seasons in the PBA.

In his first season, he averaged 11.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and close to three assists per game while shooting 46.6% from the field.

By his sophomore year, he increased his numbers further to 13.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and nearly three assists per game, and shot 33% from beyond the arc.

There were also nights when his rise became impossible to ignore. In the Philippine Cup, he erupted for a career-high 30 points to lead Rain or Shine past Phoenix, the kind of performance that showed he was no longer just an energy guy or a surprise package. He was becoming someone opponents had to build game plans around.

In the Commissioner’s Cup, Nocum became the top local scorer for the Elasto Painters, averaging 15.3 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.

He has also started collecting recognition that usually comes with a player’s rise. During the Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup, he became the first two-time PBA Press Corps Player of the Week recipient of the conference, a reflection of both his individual growth and Rain or Shine’s strong start. He also became one of the young players fans gravitated toward during All-Star festivities, proof that his appeal is no longer limited to those who study box scores.

He is currently looking to lead his team past Barangay Ginebra for a spot in the finals.

Nocum will turn 27 this August, but Guiao believes his game is about to peak and the maturity in his level of play has become noticeable.

Freedom has allowed Nocum to be himself. Not a manufactured star. Not a player forced into a box. Not a second-rounder quietly waiting for leftover minutes.

Rain or Shine gave him space to run, space to attack, space to make mistakes, and space to grow. Nocum turned that opportunity into momentum.

In just three seasons playing in the PBA, Nocum has become a star, but he sparkles even more whenever he glides in mid-air and attacks the basket.

For fans who miss the days when PBA players could become attractions through personality, movement, flair, and fearlessness, Nocum feels like a throwback wrapped in a modern package.

A dancer from Tondo. A former Mapua Cardinal. An MPBL standout. A 24th overall pick. A Rain or Shine discovery. A player who went from being overlooked to being one of the most watched young guards in the league.

Nocum has become the most exciting player to watch in the PBA.