RAIN or Shine coach Yeng Guiao believes PBA guest team Eastern is good but not as big a problem as the Bay Area Dragons.
“Alam naman natin na mas malalim yung bench ng Bay Area," Guiao said. "Mas malaki 'yung import nila si (Andrew) Nicholson, tapos meron silang pamalit na import na maliit na guwardiya na unstoppable din, na unguardable din (Myles Powell).
“Mas malaki talaga ang problema mo dun sa Bay Area.”
READ Rain or Shine deals PBA guest team Eastern its first loss
Rain or Shine did encounter hitches against Eastern, but proved steadier in the final quarter to deal the guest team its first loss in three games in the PBA Commissioner's Cup, 99-81, on Wednesday night at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
“Nanalo na sila ng dalawa, pero alam mo na kapag kalaban mo sila, mas parehas 'yung laban,” said Guiao of Eastern.
During its stint in the 2022-23 Commissioner’s Cup, Bay Area under Olympian coach Brian Goorjian, lost just twice in the eliminations, which the Dragons eventually topped with a 10-2 record to emerge as the top-seeded team heading to the playoffs.
With Nicholson and Powell – both former NBA players – alternating for the EASL ballclub, the team topped Guiao and Rain or Shine in the quarterfinals, defeated San Miguel in the semis, before bowing to Barangay Ginebra in a best-of-seven finals that went down to a memorable Game 7 that attracted a record crowd of 54,589 at the Philippine Arena.
Incidentally, three former Bay Area players in Hayden Blankley, Kobey Lam, and Glen Yang are seeing action for Eastern.
Cameron Clark, a former import of Guiao at NLEX, reinforces Eastern’s PBA campaign.
Nonetheless, even after the win, Guiao still considers Eastern as a title contender.
“Malakas pa rin sila kasi naka 2-0 na agad sila. Good start agad sila,” he said.
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