No sermon from Guiao after NLEX's 3rd straight loss

An 85-96 defeat to Blackwater Elite sent NLEX to 1-3 in the AllFilipino Conference, with their lone win coming against Alaska in their first game. They currently sit at 11th place in the league standings, just above the winless Mahindra Floodbuster ( 0-4) .

One would think that after yet another setback, Guiao will be ready to blow his top against his team, especially after a splendid offseason where they showed off their potential in a series of tune-up games.

Yet the coach, who took over the NLEX post in the offseason after a successful stint in Rain or Shine, revealed that he held back from giving his new team a severe reprimand and instead opted for a calmer approach.

Ayoko masyado daanin sa ganoon," he said. "Sometimes, you also have to consider a 'sermon fatigue,' baka magka-fatigue naman sila. Sometimes, you just have to step back and relax a little bit, let them ease some of the tensi on ."

He still had a "long talk" with his players but Guiao said he made an effort to come off as inspiring rather than repr i mandi ng.

"Hindi ko naman sila pinagsisigawan, hindi ko naman sila pinagmumura," said Guiao. "I just delivered a long speech about having character, and playing smart in games."

[I didn't shout at them; I didn't curse at them.]

Nevertheless, Guiao acknowledged that his team right now is "failing that test" as they cannot duplicate their effort in practices in games.

"We are only frustrated, because we know that this team has potential," he explained. "Kung alam mo na wala kang potential talaga, 'di ka mafu-frustrate. Pero alam namin na meron namang potential. We played very well in the offseason, and we are practicing very well."

[ If you know that you don't have the potential, then you won't get frustrated. But we know we have potential.]

"If you see this team in practice, it doesn't look like we're losing. But all teams are good in practice; the real test is in the game. For now, we are failing that test, and we should go back and work harder," he sai d.

Guiao pointed to errors on the defensive end, stemming from mental lapses, as the primary reasons for NLEX's losing streak. However, he does not question his players' effort and hard work, and remains optimistic that they can bounce back.

"Although we are now just trying to win one game at a time and survive, I feel that at the right point, we can come back," he said.

"With a few more corrections, a few more sermons, a few more adjustments, we can still get back in this conference," he added confidently.