MANILA, Philippines – Shaun Ildefonso is up to the task.

A power forward all his life, Ildefonso welcomes the challenge of transitioning to a point guard as Rain or Shine head coach Yeng Guiao finds it necessary to have a bigger player take on the role.

The Elasto Painters already have two point guards in Anton Asistio and Andrei Caracut, but Guiao believes it will serve the team best to have someone like the burly Ildefonso play the position in certain situations.

“We’re trying to broaden his skill set to include playing the point just in case we need a bigger point guard,” said Guiao. “We’re limited in options if we only have small point guards.”

The 6-foot-2 Ildefonso has shown promise in his new assignment.

Given the point guard reins by Guiao, Ildefonso finished with 19 points for Rain or Shine in a 127-110 romp of Converge on Friday, June 30, that hiked their record to 5-1 in the PBA On Tour.

He averages 10.5 points on 34.8% shooting from three-point distance to go with 3.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists in the preseason tournament.

“I work on it every day. My father tells me that I just need to be confident with my dribbling,” said Ildefonso, the eldest child of two-time MVP and PBA legend Danny.

“Definitely, there is more to learn.”

In a way, Ildefonso sees it as a way to prolong his PBA career.

“When I reached the pros, I thought to myself that I’d last longer in the PBA if I learned guard skills more,” Ildefonso said.

“It is a process and I’m excited because I believe that some players are late bloomers.”

To make his transition smoother, Ildefonso bared he seeks help from Magnolia’s Paul Lee and watches clips of San Miguel’s Jericho Cruz – two guards who both played for the Elasto Painters under Guiao.

“I ask for pointers. They told me that I just have to be confident. And you have to be smart. Even if you’re not talented in skills, as long as you’re smart, you’ll be fine. I really rely on that,” he said. – Rappler.com