ANTIPOLO CITY – Wayne Selden has yet to arrive in the country, but NLEX coach Frankie Lim plans to call a personal practice and break him in the Road Warriors’ playing system.
Wayne Selden NLEX arrival
“We still have to see our new import. Maybe tomorrow (Sunday) I will call practice just for him, just to see him,” said Lim of the import who will take over the place of Jonathon Simmons. “Maybe teach him our plays and what we do.”
Simmons capped his brief stint with NLEX Saturday night by guiding the team to its fourth straight victory in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup opposite Phoenix Fuel Masters, 98-94, at the Ynares Center.
The former NBA player scored a game-high 38 points including 5-of-11 from beyond the arc, while adding seven rebounds and five assists in keeping his words of winning all four of his games with the team before leaving the Road Warriors and resume his career in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA).
He won’t able to work out with Selden though, as the 6-foot-4 product of Kansas has yet to arrive in the country.
Latest word from NLEX will have Selden flying in Sunday midnight.
Simmons’ replacement was supposed to arrive as early as last Thursday, but team manager Larry Fonacier said no deal has been in place yet with the import back then.
Hopefully, things have already been ironed out as the unbeaten Road Warriors will have no less than reigning champion Barangay Ginebra Kings for their next opponent on Wednesday.
“Hope he helps us in our next game against Ginebra,” said Lim. “Actually, he will have three practices with us going to the Ginebra game.”
Simms meanwhile, will be leaving for China on Monday.
Lim said the team is planning to have a send-off dinner to the 33-year-old import.
“I have two bottles of red wine. He loves red wine,” said Lim of Simmons, who played for San Antonio, Orlando, and Philadelphia.
“We will have dinner. He’s leaving Monday, so we still have tomorrow (Sunday) evening.”
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