Araña confused by Guiao’s late-game benching late in Game 3

RYAN Araña (left) of Rain or Shine INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Rain or Shine’s Ryan Araña already knew that his role coming into Game 3 was to stop Talk ‘N Text’s speedy guards Jayson Castro and Jimmy Alapag.

The only problem for Araña was he didn’t have enough time to do so in the Elasto Painters 80-89 loss Sunday night.

“Di ko din alam (why I didn’t play much). Nagtataka nga ako pero wala din naman akong magawa kasi system ni coach yan kung palalaruin niya ako o hindi niya ako palalaruin,” said Araña.

(I don’t know too why I didn’t play much. It really left me wondering, but I can’t do anything because it’s the coach’s discretion whether he would let me play or not.)

“Okay lang pero once na pinalaro niya ako bibigay ko talaga yung 100% ko dahil din naman talaga ako papaya ma basta-basta ganun na lang.”

(It’s OK but once he let me play I will give my 100 percent as I would not allow myself to play a so-so game.)

“Di ko alam kung paano ko sisimulan kung kakausapin ko ba siya o hindi e pero kita naman sa stats kung anong nangyari kung ilang minutes ako naglaro pero sana mapansin din ni coach kasi ako talaga naglalaro ako for coach e.

(I don’t know how to start…if I would talk to him or not but the stats will show how I perform if I would be fielded for a few minutes, but I hope our coach will realize this because I really execute the coach’s orders.)

The former De La Salle standout took turns with Chris Tiu to help the Elasto Painters pull ahead in the third quarter.

Araña finished with 10 points, six rebounds, one assist and a steal in just 13 minutes.

But as Araña felt surprised why he stayed on the bench despite his strong third-quarter effort, head coach Yeng Guiao, on the other hand, knew very well what he was doing.

“Meron kasi talaga akong pang-finish na lima, hindi naman siya kasama dun. It’s enough na nakatulong siya and that is part of his role at tsaka noong huli meron din siyang defensive lapses pero actually di naman (big deal) yun, that is minor, mas malaking factor yung I wanted to finish with a certain combination of people. Yun lang naman ang role niya, masaya naman ako sa role niya,” Guiao said.

(I really have five players to finish the job, but he was not included in the lineup. It’s enough he helped out and that was part of his role and I noticed that later in the game he tended to commit some defensive lapses but actually it was no big deal, that was minor, the biggest factor was that I wanted to finish the game with a certain combination of people. That was just his role, and I’m happy with it.)

Araña also felt he could’ve contributed more had he been on the floor.

“Ayoko namang sabihin pero sa tingin ko (I could’ve helped the team). Sinabi na naman nila coach Caloy kung anong dapat kong gawin para stop si Castro which is yun yung ginagawa ko kanina stop si Castro, stop si Jimmy (Alapag). Siguro sa tingin ko lang makakatulong naman ako kasi nagsabay na yung dalawang point guard nila e.”

(I don’t want to say it but I think I could’ve helped the team. Some were saying to coach Caloy what I should do to stop Castro because that’s what I will do…stop Castro, stop Jimmy Alapag. Maybe I could have helped because their two point guards were deployed.)

“So ayun, yun lang ang trabaho ko. Once na-stop na si Jayson (Castro) diyan, tapos. Malaki chance namin na manalo.”

(So that’s it, that’s my job. Once I stopped Jayson Castro and that’s it. We have a big chance to win.)

Guiao stuck through with Gabe Norwood, Paul Lee, Jeff Chan, Jervy Cruz and Tiu in the end game and most likely that same five would still be the multititled mentor’s combination of players in Game 4.

“But of course there’s always room for changes…, but that’s the probability but we will win or lose in the hands of those people who we think will take us to the end game,” he said.