Assistant coaches Adonis Tierra and Jojo Lastimosa help one another in the absence of head coach Yeng Guiao, hoping to draw the best from the NLEX Road Warriors in their debut against the TNT KaTropa Texters on opening night of the PBA Governors Cup at the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo Friday.
Second to last in the recent Commissioner's Cup, the Road Warriors have a job cut out for them against the Texters as they will also be shorthanded in the frontcourt minus Asi Taulava, who along with Guiao, is rendering duty to the national team in the Asian Games in Jakarta.
Also minus ace guards Kiefer Ravena and Kevin Alas, the Road Warriors will bank a lot on import Oluseyi Ashaolu as they try to pull the rug from under the Texters, third placers in the eliminations in the Commissioner's Cup but eased out by the San Miguel Beermen in their quarterfinals matchup.
The Texters are among the teams that are bringing in old tested imports in the season-ending Governors Cup.
Coach Nash Racela is unleashing Mike Glover, back in the local pro league after his previous stint with the GlobalPort Batang Pier in 2016.
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The Texters are determined to jumpstart their bid in the third conference after their sorry exit in the second conference. They won eight of 11 games in the elims only to be swept in their best-of-three quarters matchup by the Beermen.
The Road Warriors, with a badly crippled lineup, struggled all conference long, coming through with just two wins.
Even then, the NLEX ball club was not selfish when its head coach and one frontline player were asked to serve the national team.
Also with Guiao and Taulava in the Jakarta Asiad is NLEX assistant coach Ford Arao. (SB)
