YENG Guiao again sounded off the need to upgrade the NLEX roster after the team suffered a second straight loss in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup on Sunday night.
But he also knows it’s a move that needs to be carefully considered and not made in the heat of the moment.
“We tried to change some pieces during the offseason, pero wala e,” said Guiao, who saw his team suffer another loss, 91-84, to Meralco on his 58th birthday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“I don’t want to trade for the sake of trading and not really have an upgrade. It’s either may upgrade ka or at least, parehas yung materials. Pero kung walang upgrade and hindi parehas yung materials, then why trade?”
[See Defense is name of game as Meralco heaps more misery on NLEX]
For a while, everything was going well for the Road Warriors against the Bolts, who they led by as many as 10 in the third quarter. The Road Warriors trailed by just two, 69-67, entering the final quarter.
Then the roof caved in.
The Bolts opened the fourth by scoring 14 unanswered points to finally take control, 81-67, from which the Road Warriors never recovered.
Guiao acknowledged it’s the same pattern for NLEX all over again.
“We were in the game for three quarters. We were playing good offensively and defensively, and then the usual thing happened, we collapsed in the fourth quarter,” said the fiery mentor.
“We still have to find the cure for that.”
NLEX went down to for the second time in three days to join Mahindra down the cellar. With nine games left in its schedule, Guiao said the Road Warriors need to start making their move.
“We just have to go back, evaluate, and think. We know it’s a work in progress, but we can’t wait too long. Kailangan siguro may mga drastic measures that we have to take in the next few weeks,” admitted the NLEX coach.
“We’ll see how it comes together, we’re hoping it will still come together.”