Physical title series looms for Rain or Shine, San Mig Coffee

By: Musong R. Castillo - 10 years ago

Yeng Guiao. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Yeng Guiao actually struggled for a moment to come up with an explanation on why his Rain or Shine crew has been branded as a bully in the Philippine Basketball Association.

“It’s paranoia, actually—among the fans, the media and every team we play against,” Guiao said yesterday on the eve of Game 1 of the Governors’ Cup Finals pitting his Elasto Painters against the San Mig Coffee Mixers at 8 p.m. at Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.

“Kami na nga ang sinasaktan, kami pa ang masama (They’re hurting us and yet we’re getting the flak),” Guiao added during the formal launch of the best-of-five series in Eastwood City.

“We’re not out there to hurt anybody, but if they hurt us, we will defend ourselves.” Guiao’s reaction came after San Mig’s Marc Pingris, answering a question from a reporter, declared that “we are ready” for a rugged, physical game considering how the Final Four went for both teams over the weekend.

“We play physical, we play rugged, but it’s been exaggerated,” Guiao said. “In these playoffs, there’s not even a single flagrant foul called on us.”

Guiao has transformed Rain or Shine into a hard-fighting unit ever since he took over from Caloy Garcia in 2011, guiding the Painters to the Finals in four of the last seven conferences.

For the second time this season, he has a shot at winning the franchise’s second title. Perhaps part of the reason why the Painters are so tough to beat is the fact that they have to deal with a firebreathing coach in the first place.

The first question Guiao said he fires at an incoming player: “Can you stand my yelling and cursing?

“I don’t care if you are the (team) owners’ sons. If you can’t take that, we will trade you because you don’t have a place in my team,” he added. “That’s the way I coach, and physical is the way we practice and the way we play.” Branded as a bully or otherwise, Guiao actually doesn’t care.

His style—no timeouts even during the enemy’s rallies and the use of a deep rotation practically every game—seems to be working well.

No one can question that, because going into these Finals, only Guiao has beaten the Grand Slam-seeking Tim Cone in a title series in the last six conferences.