Cruz owes award to former coach Guiao: He trusted me

Rain or Shine’s Jericho Cruz receives his Most Improved Player award on Friday, Oct. 14, 2016, during the 2016 Leo Awards at Smart Araneta Coliseum. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

Jericho Cruz only had one guy to thank for his Most Improved Player award.

“Without coach Yeng (Guiao), I wouldn’t be here right now. Binigyan nya ako ng playing time, binigyan niya ako ng tiwala na pag nasa loob ako, may magandang mangyayari,” he said on Friday after the 2016 Leo Awards.

Averaging only 24.3 minutes this season, the sophomore guard found a way to make an impact for the Elasto Painters, averaging 12.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.0 assists as he edged Sean Anthony and Stanley Pringle for the plum.

And Cruz credits Guiao for giving him the boost he needed.

“He just told us that every time we go in, we give everything we got kasi marami namang papalit eh. Marami kaming players and yun ang ginawa ko, every time I go in, I give my best shot. Nagpapakamatay ako sa bola and maganda ang nangyayari,” he said.

Cruz will return to a new-look Rain or Shine squad next season, with Guiao now at NLEX’s helm.

“Coach Yeng is coach Yeng. He’s going to be a big loss but at the end of the day, tanggapin natin yung nangyari,” he noted.

The former Adamson Falcon is keeping his hopes up, though, as the Elasto Painters face a new era under coach Caloy Garcia and new acquisition James Yap.

“We’ll be ok kasi alam naman ni coach Caloy yung sistema ni coach Yeng eh. Lahat naman ng ginagawa ni coach Yeng, coach Caloy is there to solve it up. Basically, we’ll be ok. Coach Caloy is a good coach and I can’t wait to play for him too,” he said.

“Sobrang sad namin na wala si Paul Lee cause he’s one of our main man. But at the same time, we’ll be having a James Yap. If there’s a Kobe (Bryant), meron tayong James Yap eh. I’m going to learn a lot from him and listen to him every day.”