BLACKWATER coach Ariel Vanguardia sees a silver lining in the PBA schedule being pushed back anew by circumstances beyond its control.
“Baka blessing in disguise na rin sa amin,” Vanguardia told Malaya-Business Insight yesterday shortly after it was announced that the PBA Governors Cup games for this week have been canceled.
“Kasi more time to heal mga injured players ko,” explained Vanguardia. “And then nandiyan pa bagong import.”
Forcing the PBA to cancel the games this week was the decision of the government to place Metro Manila under alert level 3 starting yesterday until Jan. 15 due to the spike in COVID cases.
Under level 3, no contact sport, like basketball, can be played unless it’s in a bubble set-up.
The last game of the season-ending Governors Cup for 2021 was played last Dec. 26 and games were supposed to resume tomorrow with Blackwater, currently on a league-worst 24-game losing streak, facing unbeaten Magnolia and Meralco taking on Alaska at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The pro league has drawn up a schedule up until the end of the eliminations with games to be played at the Big Dome until at least Jan. 23, except for the Jan. 15 and 16 weekend games set at the MOA Arena. The venues for the games from Jan 26 to 30 have yet to be determined.
Full practices have also been barred within Metro Manila, with PBA teams limited to non-contact workouts involving just five players per session.
Vanguardia said the delay should work in favor of his injured players, led by Jayvee Casio, Baser Amer, and Kelly Nabong.
“Jayvee and Baser hindi pa 100 percent,” related Vanguardia. “Si Kelly sinubukang mag-practice kahapon (Sunday) pero hindi pa rin kaya. Mga one week pa siguro sila.”
The Bossing have also brought in a new import in Shawn Glover, who is set to finish his mandatory quarantine period today.
Vanguardia said they will just have to make do with what they can for now until such time as the team decides on whether to go out-of-town for full practices.
“Mag-ra-run muna ng plays, simulate ng depensa, mga ganoon muna,” offered Vanguardia.
“Kapag napagkasunduan na at papayagan naman, malamang mag-probinsiya kami, like Batangas,” added Vanguardia. “We have to develop that chemistry with our new import and as it is kailangan siguro mag-cram kami.”
