Depth is ROS’ trump card

In the PBA Commissioner’s Cup, Rain or Shine has been led by eight Best Player of the Game awardees in its 11 wins, including the 115-111 decision over Barangay Ginebra in the opener of their best-of-seven semifinal series at the Ynares Center, Antipolo, last Wednesday. No other team can claim such a widespread gallery of impact players and depth is what coach Yeng Guiao hopes will carry ROS to the Last Dance.

The only repeat Best Player of the Game awardees in ROS’ lineup were Jaylen Johnson (over Macau and Converge), Adrian Nocum (over TNT and San Miguel Beer) and Andrei Caracut (over Blackwater and SMB in the quarterfinals). The other honorees were Felix Lemetti (over Meralco), Anton Asistio (over Terrafirma), Gian Mamuyac (over Magnolia), Christian Manaytay (over Titan) and Jhonard Clarito (over Ginebra in the semifinals). In all, Guiao has started 14 of 16 players, missing only Asistio and Beau Belga. Only JJ is averaging at least 30 minutes with six logging at least 20 and 15 at least 10, showcasing Guiao’s deep rotation. Four players are hitting double figure clips and eight are scoring at least seven points an outing.

In Game 1 of the semifinals, Caelan Tiongson sat out with a bum stomach and Luis Villegas limped off the court in the third quarter. Out of commission for the season are Keith Datu with a ruptured right patellar tendon, Lemetti with a partial right ACL tear and Jun Roque with a torn right ACL. Stanley Pringle hasn’t played the entire conference. Despite the absences, ROS managed to put up a strong stand against Ginebra and recovered from a 10-point deficit in the last 10 minutes to win behind a 13-4 killer closer. ROS outscored Ginebra, 41-34, in the fourth period to settle the count.

In a close contest down the stretch, Guiao likes his chances to pull through, particularly if it’s a high-scoring affair. In 11 wins so far, ROS has averaged 119 points but in three losses, it’s down to 87.7, a differential of over 30. In contrast, Ginebra puts a premium on defense and the numbers prove it. In 10 wins, Ginebra has held opponents to an average of 92.9 but in four losses, it’s given up an average of 107.5 or close to a 15 point differential. Ginebra engaged ROS in a shootout in Game 1 and paid the price.

Depth gives Guiao the resilience he needs to outwork teams with a higher man-for-man talent level. But for sure, it will take more than depth to turn back Ginebra in a series. It’ll take ball movement, physical defense, JJ playing both ends consistently, imposing style of play and a lot of luck. Ginebra may be down 0-1 but coach Tim Cone is far from out.