Following their disappointing campaigns in the 2018 PBA Commissioner’s Cup, both the NLEX Road Warriors and the Blackwater Elite are looking forward to the season-ending 2018 Governors’ Cup this coming August.
In preparation, both clubs – the two bottom teams of the mid-season tilt – have joined the Summer Super 8 tournament in Macau, China, from July 17 to 22.
The PBA teams will be facing stiff competition in the event, as club teams from other Asian leagues – such as the ASEAN Basketball League, Japan’s B.League, the Korean Basketball League, and the CBA – are set to take part in it.
Taiwan’s Formosa Dreamers; Japan’s Rizing Zephyr Fukuoka; Seoul Samsung Thunders and ETLAND Elephants of Korea; and Xinjiang Guanghui Flying Tigers and Guangzhou Long Lions from China are all in the showpiece.
So for coaches Yeng Guiao and Bong Ramos, this will only be good for their respective teams’ preparations for the final conference.
“We want to get better as a team playing in a different, playing in a different situation, conditions,” said Guiao, the Road Warriors’ mentor.
“And also to spend a little bit more time just being together and having our import with us.”
“Importante sa’min dun is yung games, kasi we need more games bago mag-third conference,” shared Ramos, on the other hand.
“Unti-unti pa lang namin nade-develop yung ininstill kong sistema. Yung mga players, tinitignan ko kung sino magagamit.”
And one of the goals of their trip is to, of course, polish their team chemistry even more.
“Mag-gel lang kami, magsama sama, ma-build namin yung chemistry with import, that’s the purpose for that trip,” expressed Guiao, who has just welcomed Nigerain-Canadian reinforcement Ola Ashaolu just this Wednesday.
“Part na rin yung ide-develop namin dun yung chemistry ng team, team bonding,” said Ramos, the Elite’s replacement for long-time coach Leo Isaac after the latter opened the mid-season joust with a three straight losses.
Of the two teams, Blackwater are definitely maximizing their break. Aside from flying to Macau, they will also take part in a tournament in Indonesia – where Ramos had spent a good amount of coaching years before.
Now, given all the preparations by the Road Warriors and the Elite, all eyes will be on them if this will translate to desired results in the Governors’ Cup.
