A few last seconds into the fourth quarter between the San Mig Coffee Mixers and the Petron Blaze Boosters, Alex Mallari of San Mig lobbed the rock for an alley-oop to rookie Justin Melton. Melton obliges and sends the leather down the rim with both hands. Check the video below.
The fascinating thing about this is that Melton is only 5'9" (others list him as 5'11", some others still 5'7"). In the Philippines, let alone in the PBA, in-game slam dunks are rarities. Probably because of the Filipino's typical short height and, quite often, the insufficiency of vertical leap as well.
Which is why Melton's slam is highlight material. For someone not as tall as your average NBA guard, the kid can fly. Soar. Not quite like Spud Webb, true, but almost like Spud nevertheless. Can't wait for Melton to join the PBA Slam Dunk contest come PBA All-Star Weekend this 2014. No schedule yet.
But going back to Melton, the Pampanga-native. He's not entirely an "inexperienced" rook. Prior to being drafted to the PBA last 2013, Melton has already played in the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL), averaging 9.8 PPG, 4.31 RPG, and 4.88 APG donning the jersey for the Westports Malaysia Dragons. And it won't be a surprise if he also did in the ABL 2013 Season and other leagues what he recently did in the PBA. Videos below.
To be sure, it seems apparent that Melton's game is a rough gem that needs further polishing. Under the tutelage of San Mig Coffee Mixers head coach Tim Cone, I bet Melton will improve a lot in the months ahead. It will be exciting to finally watch him as a starting point guard.
The fascinating thing about this is that Melton is only 5'9" (others list him as 5'11", some others still 5'7"). In the Philippines, let alone in the PBA, in-game slam dunks are rarities. Probably because of the Filipino's typical short height and, quite often, the insufficiency of vertical leap as well.
Which is why Melton's slam is highlight material. For someone not as tall as your average NBA guard, the kid can fly. Soar. Not quite like Spud Webb, true, but almost like Spud nevertheless. Can't wait for Melton to join the PBA Slam Dunk contest come PBA All-Star Weekend this 2014. No schedule yet.
But going back to Melton, the Pampanga-native. He's not entirely an "inexperienced" rook. Prior to being drafted to the PBA last 2013, Melton has already played in the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL), averaging 9.8 PPG, 4.31 RPG, and 4.88 APG donning the jersey for the Westports Malaysia Dragons. And it won't be a surprise if he also did in the ABL 2013 Season and other leagues what he recently did in the PBA. Videos below.
To be sure, it seems apparent that Melton's game is a rough gem that needs further polishing. Under the tutelage of San Mig Coffee Mixers head coach Tim Cone, I bet Melton will improve a lot in the months ahead. It will be exciting to finally watch him as a starting point guard.
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