Elite seek No. 5
Yeng Guiao reunites with his NLEX crew after close to three months, and how Blackwater deals with the national coach’s return will determine whether the Elite can extend a franchise-best conference start in the PBA Governors’ Cup on Wednesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
But Guiao is the one who’s worried. And he has all the reasons to be so.
“I’m excited to get back to coaching NLEX, but the problem is, Blackwater is the hottest team right now,” Guiao said after prepping his Road Warriors for the first time since taking on national duty.
Unbeaten Blackwater has never had it this good and will be coming into the 4:30 p.m. contest as the solid pick to nail a fifth win using import Henry Walker as offensive anchor.
“He’s done a good job in leading his team to contention,” Guiao said of Walker, an NBA veteran who has had several stints in the PBA. “Their (Elite) three-point shooting is the headache for all the [opposing] teams.
“We have to be able to lower their efficiency and prevent Walker from dictating the tempo,” Guiao went on. “If he can do that, he can make all of his teammates look good.”
With Walker leading the way, Blackwater is the only unbeaten team in the season-ending conference after victories over powerhouses TNT KaTropa, Barangay Ginebra and San Miguel, while also stopping NorthPort.
NLEX import Aaron Fuller’s main jobs are to dominate the paint and make life hard for Walker.
The Road Warriors have gone 1-1 since recalling Fuller in place of injured original import Oluseyi Ashaolu.
Meanwhile, Rain or Shine (0-1) and Magnolia (2-1) try to bounce back when they clash in the 7 p.m. main game.
Magnolia is seeking to get back on track after its two-game win streak came to a halt on Sunday with an 82-95 loss to Phoenix (5-1).
