Climbing to fourth place in the PBA Philippine Cup standings is actually the least of NLEX coach Yeng Guiao’s concern given the challenge of playing a conference amid the prevailing COVID-19 situation.
“To be honest, I don’t know what place we’re in,” Guiao said after the 94-76 victory over Phoenix Super LPG at the Don Honorio Ventura State University in Bacolor, Pampanga. “Hindi ko na tinitignan yung standings. We’re doing it on a day-to-day basis, game-to-game basis kasi ang hirap.”
The Road Warriors have won their last three games, including conquests of the Alaska Aces and the Fuel Masters in the first week of the Philippine Cup restart, to move inside the top four with a 4-2 record.
As he was surprised with NLEX’s current position, Guiao once again acknowledged the difficulty of facing two fronts: its PBA opponents and the dreaded virus.
“You’re only as good as your last swab test,” said Guiao. “Pagka-sumabit ka sa swab test, ang hirap magbalik. Mawawala ka sa rhythm, yung practice mo maiistorbo, yung players mo magquaquarantine, yung games mo marereset.
“So we’re just looking to manage our virus situation the best way we can, and then compete at the same time.”
Guiao added that the arrangement of a hotel-venue-hotel setup as compared to a safer bubble setup last season is also making his job difficult since one lapse in observing protocols could hinder their chances of staying competitive on the court.
The twin victories in Bacolor came even without its star player Kiefer Ravena, whose return from Japan once he completes processing requirements for his upcoming B.League stint with the Shiga Lakestars will depend if NLEX can stretch its campaign deeper.
“Actually at this point, it’s very important for the teams to manage that protocol situation,” Guiao explained. “Dalawa kalaban mo dito: yung virus tsaka yung competition mo. Pag tinalo ka ng virus, wala kang competition, bakasyon ka.
“So as a coach, there’s an added responsibility to try and keep your guys safe as much as possible so that you can compete. So karagdagang pressure yun, karagdagang responsibility yun sa lahat ng teams.
“Kaya di na namin iniitindi yung fourth place kami, we’re just happy that we’re able to play. And we’re happy everytime we test negative lahat, there’s a big sigh of relief for everyone,” Guiao concluded.