NLEX team captain Kevin Alas. PBA IMAGES
MANILA, Philippines—NLEX skipper Kevin Alas believed that despite the absence of one of the team’s top stars, the Road Warriors could’ve done more in the 2021 PBA Philippine Cup.
Despite the sudden departure of Kiefer Ravena, who has gone on to play in Japan, the Road Warriors reached the quarterfinals and even pushed No. 2 Meralco to the brink of elimination.
“Personally, I know we could’ve done more even though we didn’t have Kiefer but we made it into the do-or-die game against Meralco and we could’ve done more,” said Alas, whose no.7 Road Warriors got dealt with a twice-to-win advantage against the Bolts.
“We could’ve done more. Some say we might’ve overachieved but I know that we could’ve made it to the semifinals.”
NLEX dropped out of contention after a 97-86 loss to Meralco in the do-or-die match.
The early exit was a culmination of a tumultuous campaign for the Road Warriors, who had to adjust suddenly with the loss of one of their performers in Ravena was released from his PBA club to join the Shiga Lakestars.
NLEX head coach Yeng Guiao. PBA IMAGES
Head coach Yeng Guiao admitted that the departure of Ravena, who was initially reported to come back to finish his responsibilities with NLEX after completing his requirements in Japan, caught the team off guard.
“Losing Kiefer midway through the elimination round all the way to our playoffs campaign was tough,” said Guiao in a statement posted on the team’s website. “It’s something we didn’t prepare for.”
STEPPING UP
Ravena’s absence was greatly felt on the floor as he averaged team-highs of 15.75 points, 6.5 assists, 1.75 steals, and a 10.00 plus/minus rating.
But despite that, the Road Warriors became a team of revelation during the playoff run, finding a new star in rookie Calvin Oftana, who proved he isn’t afraid to take charges and knock big shots down the stretch.
The third overall pick in the 2020 Draft averaged 9.27 points in 10 games during the eliminations but he became an integral scoring option for the Road Warriors in the crucial games near the end of the preliminaries and in the quarterfinals.
The 6-foot-5 Oftana averaged 14.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.0 block, and a 5.4 plus/minus in his last five games with the Road Warriors including a 34-point outburst against the Bolts in NLEX’s final game of the eliminations where he recorded a rookie-record eight three-pointers.
“Kiefer’s role is obviously huge but there are others who stepped up in the opportunity they were given including Calvin. He’s a star in the making with his dribbling, scoring, and of course his height,” said Alas of Oftana.
The end may have looked dim, but Guiao still commended his players for making the most of their team’s campaign.
“I consider our campaign as decent enough. We were able to push Meralco, which is considered as one of the dark horse teams in the tournament and has a legitimate chance of making it to the championship round or even winning the title, to the brink,” said Guiao.