COACH Yeng Guiao liked what he saw in Mac Belo's debut for Rain or Shine.
The 30-year-old Belo finally made his comeback from a long layoff on Wednesday night, playing for 16 minutes in Rain or Shine's 100-98 win over San Miguel in the PBA On Tour at the Ynares Sports Arena.
READ: Rain or Shine stays unbeaten in PBA on Tour
The game was Belo's first with Rain or Shine after signing a one-year contract with the franchise that got him in a trade with Meralco in exchange for big man Norbert Torres.
Belo hasn't played since last year's Commissioner's Cup, but Guiao felt the 6-foot-4 forward did good enough to get a passing grade.
"I'm happy with what I saw. Andun yung effort and energy," said the veteran coach of the team's new acquisition.
The former UAAP MVP out of Far Eastern University didn't see action until the start of the second quarter and immediately made his presence felt by scoring five straight points, including a three pointer for his first basket of the game.
He finished with five points on 2-of-7 shooting from the floor, had four rebounds and two assists in 16 minutes of action.
Coming off a long layoff, those were enough for Guiao to feel satisfied.
"Natagalan siya sa pagbalik so we don't want to put too much pressure on him," said Guiao. "We just want to get him along and find his game."
As the pre-season wears on, Guiao expects Belo to regain his old form and more importantly, his confidence.
"He's able to grasp our system (in this game against San Miguel), so he'll get even better," the Rain or Shine coach said.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
