MANILA, Philippines — The NLEX Road Warriors are going the extra mile as they prepare for the PBA’s return to training.
According to NLEX coach Yeng Guiao, the Road Warriors have tasked their team personnel to preserve not one but two bubbles – household and team.
“First we have our family or household bubble. We told them as much as possible don’t let anybody outside your family or household enter your bubble. Protect your household,” Guiao said in Saturday’s Power & Play program on Radyo Singko.
“Then when PBA practice starts, it will become two bubbles. You now have to preserve your team bubble. If you can do both, then there’s a good chance you can sustain it,” he added.
Guiao said the team regularly does Zoom meetings and workouts. The team doctor also calls up the players often to check on them and constantly remind them of the health and safety guidelines.
PBA teams are expected to start holding small group non-scrimmage sessions once NCR returns to general community quarantine status.
The pro league will be implementing a “closed circuit” method, where the squads will have to follow a strict home-venue-home routine.
It’s not exactly like the proven effective bubble concept of the NBA, where participants are quartered in one place, but Guiao expressed belief it can get the job done.
“I have a lot of confidence in all the precautions we’re doing,” said Guiao.
"There are weaknesses in this system but there’s no such thing as 100% risk-free. There’s a certain percentage of risk and what we need is practice discipline, follow protocols strictly, and we have to change our behavior.”
“I think that’s the best way to combat the virus while there’s no vaccine yet,” he added.