Guiao mum on RoS Painters’ first pick
Yeng Guiao. FILE PHOTO
RAIN or Shine coach Yeng Guiao wants some excitement in the PBA Draft to happen on Sunday by not disclosing the Elasto Painters’ first pick, the third overall in the proceedings set at Robinson’s Place Manila.
“If I tell you now, no one will be watching the Draft anymore,” said the firebrand coach with a laugh over the phone, adding that Nos. 1 and 2 are already no-brainers as Moala Tautaua and Troy Rosario.
“But honestly, we haven’t made up our minds yet, though we have pruned down the names to five at the most,” he added.
After Talk ‘N Text makes the 6-foot-7 Tautaua the first overall choice and KIA Motors—granting it doesn’t trade No. 2—selects Rosario, Guiao said that the only excitement left in the event set at 2 p.m. is who the Painters will pick as third overall.
Guiao said that Norbert Torres, Chris Newsome, Scottie Thompson, Art Dela Cruz and another are in the short list of names which the Painters, like their other first round choice—the 12th overall—would definitely sign up.
“That’s what we want to do—pick the players we need and sign them to deals to play for us,” he said as he denied reports (not in the Inquirer) that Rain or Shine is set to trade away big man Beau Belga.
“I asked Beau this (yesterday) morning if he had plans of leaving the team and he flatly said: ‘Dito ako (I’ll stay here), coach,’ ” Guiao said.
The multi-titled Guiao, though, said that he is not shutting the door on trades provided that it is the interested teams that come to them and not the other way around.
After Rain or Shine, Meralco, which acquired the right from Globalport, selects next with Barangay Ginebra and NLEX making the fifth and sixth selections acquired from Barako Bull and Ginebra, respectively.
Meralco’s natural first round pick is seventh overall, with Star and Blackwater, after a trade with Talk ‘N Text, picking Nos. 8 and 9, respectively.
The Road Warriors got the ninth overall selection from a trade with San Miguel Beer before Alaska and Rain or Shine pick 11th and 12th to close out the first round.
