RAIN or Shine coach Yeng Guiao’s youth brigade showcased its potential with the given playing time during the Elasto Painters’ record-setting 151-95 annihilation of Blackwater on Tuesday.
Andrei Caracut sparked Rain or Shine’s 56-point rout, which stood as the PBA’s new all-time biggest winning margin, while rookies Vincent Cuajao, Christian Manaytay and Jun Roque all gave a good account of themselves with the playing time given to them by coach Yeng Guiao.
The fiery Rain or Shine mentor said Cujao, selected 22nd overall in last year’s PBA draft, has been doing well in practice, a reason why he gave him the starting job against the Bossing for the first time since failing to play in the team’s first three games in the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup.
“We really gave him the minutes in this game because we weren’t able to give him the chance to play in our three previous games,” Guiao told media men in Filipino after the game.
“He deserves to get the minutes. I couldn’t insert him (into the previous games) because we have a very deep rotation, but I thought of giving him a starting role today.”
Cuajao responded well in his starting job, contributing 15 points, nailing three triples, while adding a rebound, issued two assists and a steal in over 15 minutes of action.
Even Roque, the former Letran standout just like Cuajao, delivered in close to 18 minutes of action.
The sweet-shooting Roque finished with a near double-double of 13 points and eight rebounds, while Manaytay added six points, four boards, two blocks and two steals in 21 minutes.
Guiao said that the equal opportunity given to everyone is something they celebrate as a team.
“Our objective is just to make our team deeper, make our rookies more confident about their game,” said the 67-year-old PBA mentor, who is looking to end the Rain or Shine franchise’s 10-year title drought this conference.
“We are happy when our players success.” Rain or Shine s the lone unbeaten team in the tournament with its 4-0 win-loss record.
Guiao’s squad’s 56-point winning margin erased the previous record 55 set by U-Tex against Great Taste in a 154-99 win on July 12, 1980.