TEAMS with the future in mind collide Friday when Bay Area Dragons and Rain or Shine match up in the PBA Commissioner's Cup at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
The Dragons are eyeing to bounce back from a sorry loss their last time out and would improve to 7-2 and a share of second-running spot with idle Converge should they prevail.
For their part, the Elasto Painters are gunning for a second straight win that would give them a 5-4 record overall and a clearer crack at clinching one of the eight spots in the quarterfinals.
To bolster their chances, both the guest team and Rain or Shine decided to make similar bold moves and brought about changes in their respective imports.
The Dragons are bringing back Myles Powell in lieu of Andrew Nicholson while the E-Painters now have Ryan Pearson as replacement for Steve Taylor.
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Powell was mainly responsible for Bay Area's 4-0 start to the conference, averaging 35.75 points and 8.0 rebounds.
Nicholson proved to be no slouch either in his own four-game stint, norming a league-leading 38.5 points, anchored on a 44 percent clip from the floor, on top of 11.5 rebounds. The former NBA campaigner even notched a conference-high 50 points in an 89-92 loss to Meralco last week.
It has been reported, however, that Bay Area's coaching staff deemed that Powell could involve his teammates more than Nicholson, prompting the change that should last at least until the end of the 12-game eliminations.
Pearson is an entirely different case, however, with Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao admitting that bringing in Pearson at this point is a huge gamble on their part.
"We're actually taking a big risk," he stated, adding Pearson, who arrived just Wednesday evening and listed at just 6'6. could also be used for the season-ending Governors Cup.
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"We want to take a long-term look at the situation," Guiao also said. "Kung sakaling maayos, we will think of playing him (Pearson) in the next conference. Kung magugustuhan namin."
Bay Area's own import switch doesn't make Rain or Shine's task any easier, according to Guiao.
"I think you are just picking your poison with those two guys (Nicholson and Powell) kasi parehong halos 40 points ini-score nila," offered Guiao. "Either way they're going to be a problem for us. For sure we'll have our hands full." (NC)
