Rebounding main concern for Guiao as ROS still winless in 4 starts

MANILA, Philippines: Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao points to the team’s failure to control the boards as the main reason for the Elasto Painters’ winless start in the PBA’s Season 48 Commissioner’s Cup.

The team stumbled to its fourth straight defeat in the import-spiced conference last Friday following its 107-102 loss to Barangay Ginebra.

“In our four losses, four of those were evident in our rebounding stats,” Guiao pointed out in Filipino.

The fiery mentor believed the team’s fortunes could have probably changed if the Elasto Painters made the extra effort to get the rebounds.

In retrospect, Rain or Shine was negative 10 in rebounds in the team’s 99-98 loss to Phoenix last week, and -15 versus Ginebra.

That game also saw Ginebra guard Maverick Ahanmisi torch his former team Rain or Shine with 21 points, including the game-sealing three-point shot inside the last 60 seconds.

The 32-year-old guard, whom Rain or Shine took in as its third pick overall in the 2015 PBA Draft, also grabbed 12 rebounds and issued nine assists, flirting with a triple-double in the process for his new PBA team.

“We don’t have an inside presence defensively,” explained Guiao. “If you’re negative 30 points in the paint, then that means your opponents are just feasting on your inside.”

Before the window of opportunity to make the playoffs closes, Guiao admitted they are already evaluating things quickly, including import DaJuan Summers’ status.

Summer, the 35-year-old NBA veteran averaged 24.8 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists so far.

“I think that’s one thing we need to solve, personnel-wise,” said the Rain or Shine mentor, who last steered the Asian Coating franchise to a PBA title in the 2016 Commissioner’s Cup.

The road to a first win though won’t be easy considering that up next for Rain or Shine is powerhouse San Miguel Beer this coming Wednesday.

The Beermen are coming off a 105-96 shellacking of the Converge FiberXers last Saturday in Tiaong, Quezon in the league’s first out-of-town game in the post-pandemic.