Tough road ahead for NLEX
For five games in the PBA Philippine Cup, the NLEX Road Warriors continue to struggle. The struggle which started when Yeng Guiao took over the squad before the start of the season has spilled over in the Commissioner’s Cup and the Road Warriors have yet to address the problem.
Guiao summed up the problem as a case of lack of toughness.
The Road Warriors definitely have the materials to work with — from their big men, the swingmen and guards.
Yet, NLEX, a powerhouse team in the amateur ranks but had difficulty finding its identity in the PBA, could not get the job done.
The franchise owned by MNTC under the stable of telecommunications mogul Manuel V. Pangilinan took the first step towards making a big leap by acquiring Guiao, a fiery mentor who won six championships in his PBA coaching career, and credited for bringing the best out of teams from midlevel companies.
His previous squad, Rain or Shine, had won two championships and a consistent fixture in the playoffs.
The Road Warriors were hoping Guiao could rub off his winning ways to this underachieving squad and yet even the veteran bench tactician has had difficulty turning them into winners six months since joining the team.
Guiao believes changes are needed to be done and gradually, the team made some minor retooling, including getting Rabeh AlHussaini, a player who has a reputation of being a head case to the previous teams he played for, and Juami Tiongson, a point guard who’s been in the water the past season.
Tiongson has had difficulties cracking the line up of Blackwater, but finally got his chance when Guiao gave him this once in a lifetime opportunity.
Although the acquisitions were not blockbusters as many basketball observers would anticipate, the move has made some gradual improvement.
Twice, the Road Warriors came close to winning and Guiao is hoping this could be a good sign.
As the losses keep piling up, the Road Warriors will have difficulty making trades. Their market value has certainly fluctuated and the team’s only recourse now is to improve with what it has.
With six games left in the elimination round, the Road Warriors will need to win as many games as possible and hopefully, Guiao could see some improvement from his team while they’re reaching the tougher grind.
The road has become more challenging for NLEX and it looks like it would take a little more time before Guiao could see the kind of team he envisions.