CHICAGO - At 36 years old, with more birthday candles to blow this January 8, Maurice Shaw can hear the ticking of the clock.
And that sound triggers an uneasy feeling for the towering athlete who understands that his pro career - the ability to enjoy it while making a decent living - has a very limited shelf life.
After being taken as the No.2 overall pick in the 2019 PBA rookie draft, Shaw languished in the misery that is Blackwater. A spate of injuries, which included a herniated disc, did not help his cause.
Mercifully, his time with the Bossing ended last March 11 when he was traded to the NLEX Road Warriors in a three-team swap that allowed sister-team TNT to acquire this year's No.4 overall pick, which turned out to be Mikey Williams.
Finally healthy, and fully vaccinated, too, Shaw is eager and excited to peel and dribble another chapter in his ongoing basketball journey.
Unfortunately, it ain't happening anytime soon.
Sources told me yesterday that Shaw hasn't been allowed to practice with NLEX as the Warriors prepare for the Governor's Cup that tips off this December 8.
Worse, he is not even allowed to work out in the team's facility.

Really, NLEX couldn't somehow find even a limited role for a 6-foot-9, 215-pound banger in an import-laden season?
Look, I've said it so many times here that I'm a big fan of coach Yeng Guiao. I would never thread blasphemy and question his prerogatives as a head coach.
BUT WOULD IT REALLY HURT TO SIT DOWN WITH THE GUY, TELL HIM WHY HE ISN'T PLAYING?
Shaw is still collecting a very fat paycheck. And he will do so in the next 14 months until his contract expires. I guess NLEX is so awash with cash they're paying a former No.2 pick to do nothing.
Why?
I don't know. All I know is that coach Guiao was never receptive to the idea of trading the No.4 pick, telling SPIN.ph last March 13, "I have strongly indicated my position. Unfortunately, I do not make the final decisions."
I may be wrong, I'm almost always wrong.
But I may not be far from the truth to assume that in his "disdain" for management's move to relinquish the picks he so wanted to keep, maybe Guiao is hitting back at his superiors by not using Shaw, one of the assets they got in return.
If that's the case, Maurice Shaw becomes a tagline in an Arnold Schwarzenneger movie.
Collateral Damage.
Coach Guiao has every right to be mad at his bosses. I mean, why hire a coach when you can't let him build with the pieces he wants and needs to be successful.
I just don't think it justifies the position of disadvantage that Shaw finds himself in.
I SEE SOME TWISTED IRONY HERE.
NLEX, the same team that helped star Kiefer Ravena take flight to Japan so he can maximize his income and fulfill a childhood dream of playing overseas, now appears to be stalling the career path of another Road Warrior.
I know it sounds complicated but a genius like Yeng - a gifted strategist and seasoned politician - should be able to figure out the case of Maurice Shaw.
Let him play.
Or let him go.
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