COLUMN: Can Rain or Shine be the 'feel-good' story of this PBA playoffs?
COLUMN: Can Rain or Shine be the ‘feel-good’ story of this PBA playoffs?
CHICAGO – San Miguel’s dominance. The rise of underdog Terrafirma and the subtle decline of TNT.
Who knew that we can talk about the PBA without Ginebra?
The gate attendance may have eroded as of late, but the interest in the Philippine Cup has not waned, thanks to a myriad of storylines to keep the PBA fan base engaged.
To me, though, Rain or Shine provided the most feel-good narrative, a tale of an underdog conquering bleak odds to make it to the postseason.
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When the Elasto Painters bowed to the Beermen, 109-97, last March 15 at the Araneta Coliseum, RoS reached the lowest point with a fourth consecutive loss to start the conference.
By then, the playoffs seemed only like a pipe dream.
JUST DON’T TELL THAT TO COACH YENG GUIAO.
After that 0-4 stumble, RoS went 6-1 the rest of their schedule to finish at 6-5 and claim a ticket to the quarterfinals.
Guiao couldn’t pinpoint exactly the turning point, but he had an inkling.
“Beau (Belga) and Gabe (Norwood) were instrumental in keeping the team together especially when we were losing. Their leadership was part of the reason we kept things together in difficult times,” he told me via text message.
shaun ildefonso rain or shine pba
PHOTO: Jerome Ascano
The transformation wasn’t easy, Guiao explained.
“The team sacrificed a lot in embracing our style of play. Playing fast-paced required breaking old habits and emphasizing fitness and, to some extent, new skills. It took some time to put things in order and settle down. I hope this lasts, I’m hopeful that we sustain this.”
We all hope so, too. It’s exhausting to see the semifinals being routinely occupied only by the big teams.
HIGHWAY TO HAPPINESS.
The youngest child often gets the least ahead of elder siblings. NLEX can relate as it pertains to being the third fiddle in an MVP flock led by TNT and Meralco.
But the perceived handicap has not hindered NLEX a bit as the Road Warriors are off to the postseason after a steady conference-long effort that resulted in a 6-5 record.
Robert Bolick has been huge, averaging 27.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 7 assists per game. But the ferociously blue collar culture that coach Frankie Lim built has made the team click.
So what’s the recipe for success?
“It’s our preparation going to the game,” he told me. “We make sure the team is ready. Game plan is crucial. We also make sure they know why we do stuff.”
Like Guiao, coach Frankie is allergic to praise and credit, quickly deflecting any of those to his players and staff.
The Road Warriors respond to Lim well. His players love him. Bolick, sources told me, is thrilled to play at NLEX so much that he doesn’t want to leave to join the rich, prying teams.
RoS and NLEX may not have the most loaded rosters, what they have is two of the best coaches in the PBA.