Guiao to protest ‘crude’ draft lottery process

Yeng Guiao. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–Amid the brouhaha over the Draft Lottery process of the Philippine Basketball Association, Elasto Painters head coach Yeng Guiao said they would protest the “crude” method.

“We’re pursuing our intention to have the lottery draw investigated and, if possible, have a redraw,” Guiao said after Game 2 of the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals between his Rain or Shine Elasto Painters and the San Mig Super Coffee Mixers.

Guiao described the process that had PBA Commissioner Chito Salud personally put the balls with team names inside a covered box as “crude.”

“We thought that it was just crude, it lacks credibility… The process needs to be improved,” he said.

Guiao claimed that no team representatives were near Salud when he put the last ball, which was labeled Globalport Batang Pier, inside the box in the middle of the basketball court.

During the lottery, Salud put the Globalport ball inside the covered box with his hand also inside it. Without first drawing his hand out, he picked the Batang Pier ball, which is the first pick of the 2015 draft that would be sent to the franchise.

“It’s a question of credibility and integrity,” Guiao said.

He added that a professional sports league need not resort to “such a crude method.” “If we cannot conduct a simple lottery draw, how can we conduct a credible professional league?”