The win did not only put an end the Elasto Painters’ four-year championship drought, but also validated the team’s long-term approach at developing a championship-caliber roster.
The Elasto Painters are one of the best teams when it comes to valuing continuity and building the squad from within; when Rain or Shine were swept by the Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters in the 2012 Philippine Cup, it wasn’t like the management panicked or decided to trade assets, break the core, and do a total revamp.
As early as that point, it was evident that Rain or Shine, though a win-now team, wasn’t reactionary. Instead, they looked at the campaign long-term, and added talent via the draft while maintaining and improving their core.
The team became more competitive as seasons passed, but every time, the crew fell short. In the 2013-2014 season, the Elasto Painters made the finals twice, but lost in both occasions to eventual grand slam winners San Mig Coffee Mixers. A year after, the Elasto Painters returned to the finals of the 2015 Commissioner’s Cup, and fell ultimately short as they lost to Tropang TNT in seven grueling affairs.
Coach Yeng Guiao and the Elasto Painters have been the most consistent team in the PBA in making seven straight semifinals appearances
Still, Rain or Shine’s management remained collected. The franchise considered those set of heartbreaks as just a part of the process and something to add experience across their players’ names.
A year after, and after a slew of heartbreaking runner-up finishes, the Elasto Painters have finally found themselves on top of the PBA world once again, validating the importance of that approach.
“It’s a long process. We built this team slowly. We did not have the resources of the other teams, the opportunities of the other teams. But we were able to put up a championship team,” head coach Yeng Guiao, who won his seventh PBA championship, said.
“We tried to build that up into the mentality of the players. It’s not just in our system, it’s a deeply-rooted culture. We tried to nurture not just a system but a culture. Alam namin na we are not as talented as the other teams so we must find other ways to make up for that.”
Part of the tedious process for the Elasto Painters was taking risks, something Guiao is arguably an expert at. During the 2015 PBA Rookie Draft, Guiao drafted Maverick Ahanmisi, passing up on bigger rookie prospects.
Maverick Ahanmisi has proven that he is deserving of that number three pick
The Elasto Painter mentor had said Jewel Ponferrada’s addition prior to draft day had already solved the team’s hole in the middle, and the Ahanmisi pick proved to be a great choice as the team was able to develop both into reliable pieces.
“I don’t need to say anything about that. Maverick did everything through his actions. So, medyo nagkamali yung critics, pinatunayan niya yun,” Guiao said of Ahanmisi, who averaged 10.0 PPG, 3.3 RPG, and 2.3 APG in the Finals.
Ponferrada himself was spectacular. He was a traditional big man back in college, but Rain or Shine’s system slowly helped him to become more of a face-up and floor-spacing big. He had 19 three-point attempts in the conference, making seven of them. This excludes all the mid-range jumpers he’s made throughout the conference.
“We made a culture that is hardworking, a team that is together during adversity, a team that is passionate about what they do, they look out for each other, so yun lang advantage namin. Man for man, we are not the most talented team but we were just consistent,” Guiao said.
The Elasto Painters have been in nine straight conferences semifinals. A key component of that stretch is depth. Guiao gives his troops equal opportunities to succeed on the floor while managing their minutes well.
“Makikita mo nag-participate talaga silang lahat. We did not rely on one person, not even Paul (Lee). We got into the semis with Paul playing about 67 percent. So it is really the guys, the bench stepping up, even the 11th guy, the 12th, guy, the 13th guy, the 14th guy, 15th guy, they all made their contributions,” Guiao said.
Jericho Cruz scored 21 markers in the championship-clinching Game Six
Game 6 was a testament to that. When Lee picked up his third personal foul early in the second quarter, Guiao had to pull him out. And yet the Elasto Painters didn’t suffer, and continued to do damage as they led by as much as 20. The drop-off wasn’t noticeable at all, as guys like Ahanmisi and Jericho Cruz provided the spark.
How Guiao is able to do such task starts with the remarkable openness the Elasto Painters have in practice. The squad is pretty much like a family which follows an image of a household.
“We were very ethical with our practices, we’ve been very patient, we’ve been very straightforward in our practices. Sabihin namin ano kaya namin at hindi kaya, then they make a choice kung mag-stay ba sila or play for another team. So that is our philosophy sa team namin,” Guiao shared.
“I think the consistency the way we’ve done it, we’ve been to nine straight semi-finals and if you look at the team, it is not an old team, it is a young team. A combination of young players and veterans who mix it up and play really well.”
Through thick and thin, the Elasto Painters remained glued to their system, and it proved to be a real difference-maker for their championship aspirations. Now, they’re on top. They may lose again after this point, but people can expect them to be the same, because that’s who they are.
