Rain or Shine head coach Yeng Guiao said that it’s too early to talk about title contention despite his team’s perfect start into the PBA Governors’ Cup.
The Elasto Painters on Friday improved to 4-0 following a 116-99 victory over the import-less Phoenix, but he pointed out that the wins they have right now are too small a sample size to consider themselves as much.
“Hindi pa naman title contention, ‘no. Kasi naliliitan pa ako sa sample size natin, four games pa lang,” he said during the postgame presser at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. “Pag nakalaban namin San Miguel, five games pa lang.”
Guiao being asked about it was imminent after league stats chief Fidel Mangonon III disclosed that Rain or Shine’s 4-0 start equalled the franchise’s all-time best start in a conference since the 2012 Governors’ Cup.
Yes, the very tournament where the team won its first-ever PBA championship, with American forward Jamelle Cornley serving as import.
Presently, the Elasto Painters are on top of Group B as the only remaining unbeaten team in the whole tournament. Before beating the Fuel Masters, they defeated Blackwater, Ginebra, and NLEX.
But the champion bench tactician is keeping all of his charges on an even keel, reminding each and everyone of them that things can turn on a dime.
There’s no better instance to prove his point than their game against Phoenix. Similar to their meeting versus the Road Warriors, the crew had to overcome another early double-digit deficit before leaving with the W.
“All of this is fragile,” he said. “You lose two games in a row, you lose to a team without an import, which could’ve happened today, all of that is just going to dissolve, and you’ll just be another regular team again.”
They can only consider themselves as a legitimate contender, Guiao said, if they can play as solid come the playoffs, where it all really matters.
“Kailangan kasi alam mong matatag ka sa playoffs eh. Alam mo kung magaling ka na talaga o contender ka, pagka nasa playoffs ka na at siguro, ano, nakakapagbigay ka ng magandang laban,” he offered.
