White men can’t jump is a common misconception in basketball.
They consider black athletes more athletic while white players are typically the blue-collar workers.
Cameron Krutwig, a white boy who was just a year removed from college and playing in just his second professional league, is a throwback at how white players normally play.
He’s aggressive, works hard on both ends and not the tyipcal athletic player who would dunk in your face like the Jordans, the Kobes, and the LeBrons.
But Krutwig plays the game the right way.
He’s a big man with a guard’s mentality. He can shoot, rebound and set up his teammates.
Such overall game can only be seen in a few big white players in modern time, reminding us of Nikola Jokic and even Mark Gasol before he bounced out of the National Basketball Association.
Filipino fans are entertained by black athletes and through the years, we’ve seen how great these players were, not just in terms of showcasing their athleticism, but also brings their overall brand of game which made them endeared to fans.
But Pinoys, especially fans of the Philippine Basketball Association, were likewise fascinated by these white men and since the start, we’ve seen several notable players of such race made their marks.
Pete Crotty was a white guy who reinforced the fabled Crispa Redmanizers’ first championship in the PBA.
About two decades ago, players like David Wood, an NBA journeyman, played for Purefoods in the same season where Ryan Fletcher also bannered Barangay Ginebra San Miguel.
Damian Cantrell of TNT Tropang Giga was another white player, so as Nick Fazekas, who suited up for the old San Miguel Beer franchise.
Along with Krutiwg this conference comes another white import, Nicolas Rakocevic, a Serbian-American, who led Magnolia to an unbeaten record in the ongoing Commissioner’s Cup.
Unlike Krutwig, Rakocevic plays above the rim and brings an immeasurable amount of energy.
It’s rare that we see two white players seeing action in the same conference, probably the first time since the 2001 Commissioner’s Cup when we had Wood and Fletcher.
So where do we rank Krutwig from among those white imports who played then and now?
Blackwater coach Ariel Vanguardia is more than satisfied with his performance and believes that Krutwig has been getting the job done.
There were speculations before that he is being shipped out, but none of those were true as the wide-bodied American who led the Loyola Ramblers to an upset of topseed Illinois in the Round of 32 of the US NCAA Tournament last year was able to get the job done for the Bossing.
He averaged 20.5 points on 50.5 percent shooting from the field while pulling down 16.8 rebounds and 6.7 assists in the Commissioner’s Cup.
Krutwig is not the guy who would score 40 or 50 points, but he would make everybody on the team look good and it brought positive vibes for the Bossing, who are still in the running for a potential second straight playoff run.