As the NLEX Road Warriors’ season had ended on Tuesday night after they bowed out to a hungrier Star Hotshots in the 2017 Governor’s Cup Quarterfinals, head coach Yeng Guiao is now looking forward to a busy off-season.
And their off-season begins by picking fresh faces in the upcoming Rookie Draft set this October.
After Tuesday, and with a fifth-place finish in the season-ending conference, the Road Warriors might possibly pick second in the Draft, since they have the second-worst finish this season behind doormat team Kia Picanto.
With that, the 58-year-old tactician, when asked whom he wants to take with their pick, answered straight-up that he wants either Fil-German big man Christian Standhardinger or Kiefer Ravena, if ever the latter declares himself eligible.
“Nothing but the obvious ‘no, so kung si Standhardinger ang number one, siguro Kiefer kami. Kung si Kiefer ang number one, Standhardinger kami kasi most likely number two naman kami, so it’s really that obvious siguro.
“Then we have another draft very early in the second round so yun siguro titignan mo na lang sino best available talent in the second round,” Guiao bared.
Standhardinger and Ravena have proven themselves as two of the most sought-after cagers today, especially given their impressive stints with Gilas Pilipinas. Asked what he likes about them, Guiao pointed out several of each player’s upsides.
“Si Standhardinger, coming into the draft at 28 years old, he’s mature. He’s got experience, so you don’t need to put him through a learning process. He understands the game from what we’ve seen. He’s a hard worker, he can fit right into any team’s system,” Guiao remarked about the Filipino-German.
“Si Kiefer naman we all know that he can be a go-to guy, he can alse create for his teammates, he has leadership. He’s not afraid to take over a game. He’s a very intelligent, high-IQ player, so those are the things that a team like ours could really need,” Guiao added about Ravena, who steered the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles to two championships.
“They’re immediate impact players.”
