Rain or Shine stocks up on young bigs

MANILA, Philippines -- Rain or Shine's move to draft big men with their two picks in the first round of the 2023 PBA Draft is a decision made for the future, head coach Yeng Guiao said.

In an interview, Guiao said that the deep draft, as well as their third and fourth overall picks, allowed them to select fresh players who could shore up their frontline in the next few years.

They used their two consecutive early first round picks on 6-foot-7 Luis Villegas and 6-foot-8 Keith Datu Jr.

“This is a good batch to stock up on big men. We have to think of our future, with Beau [Belga,] Jewel [Ponferada] and Mark Borboran, our bigs, getting a little older,” he told reporters in Filipino.

“So we need a new generation of big men. The ones we drafted, we are hoping they can take over,” he added.

“It is a good time to mentor these young guys and maybe transfer some knowledge and experience to these guys, so their adjustment would come sooner.”

Villegas is still rehabilitating an ACL injury.

Despite this, Guiao said he saw the potential of the big man in the UAAP and PBA 3x3.

“That is enough for us to build confidence on what he can do. He is a high-character guy, he is a nice guy, so we think he can develop good chemistry with the rest of the team,” the coach said.

He also lauded Villegas’ versatility as a big man.

“He is a big man who has an outside game. He’s quick. He can play wings. He can play the post. He can defend big guys. He can defend small guys. Versatility is important for the bigs,” Guiao said.

“He is a modern big. He can play in and out, the same way with Keith Datu. So we’re very happy with those two picks,” he added.

The tactician also preached patience in his rookies.

“It will take time. That is not instant. You may get good players, but there is an adjusment period, a transition period. I am hoping it is a short time, but we have to give them enough time without putting too much pressure on these guys to make an impact right away,” he said.

“Sometimes, [pressure] delays that progress."