When Rain or Shine acquired veteran star guard Stanley Pringle prior to the start of the PBA’s 50th season, there were strong clamors on bringing in either Christian Standhardinger or Greg Slaughter to add more veteran presence and size to the Elasto Painters.
The Elasto Painters are on the crest of making the semifinals in four straight and look primed to take their game to the next level. They’ve added Pringle, who has been barely utilized yet by the squad as he’s battling from a minor injury, but is expected to return.
Another injured player who is set to make a comeback is Caelan Tiongson, who’ll be ready in the team’s next few games.
But the most important spot, which Rain or Shine needs to fill up, is the center position after Keith Datu went down with a knee injury that would sideline him for the rest of the conference.
That fueled the speculations even more that anyone from Slaughter, a seven-foot player who last saw action for NorthPort in the PBA four years ago, and Standhardinger, who was traded by Ginebra along with Pringle to Terrafirma last season, would be a prime target by the Elasto Painters.
Standhardinger announced his retirement from playing in the PBA last season, but basketball purists believe that the multi-titled center will be willing to return if ever a team takes a risk of trading with Terrafirma.
Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao wants to avoid complications and instead shifts his attention on the team’s first-round pick Christian Manaytay, who is available now after his MPBL team, Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards, were eliminated by the Pangasinan Heatwaves in the playoffs.
“He’s OK in practice and I think he’ll fit well with the team,” said Guiao in a telephone interview with Pinoystep.com. “We already have an initial offer to him and I’m confident that we’ll reach an agreement with him.”
Guiao is aware with the fans’ clamor of bringing in Slaughter and Standhardinger to the Elasto Painters, but is leaning towards more on tapping Manaytay, a young, 6-foot-4 athletic forward, who can bring in stability and flexibility up front for the squad.
While they’re going to give up a lot in terms of size, Guiao would rather see his team outworking bigger, stronger, more talented opponents.
The seven-time PBA champion coach is also doing this for a more logical reason.
“Bringing in Standhardinger or Slaughter isn’t that simple,” said Guiao. “There are complications if ever you express intentions of securing the services of either players because teams still have their playing rights.”
“Unlike Pringle, whom we secured through free agency, these players can only join us if we make a trade.”
Through the years, Rain or Shine has always invested on building the core of its team via the Rookie Draft, which is why the team was able to gain additional first-round picks in forming that young crew.
“We’re going to give up more on size, but the good news is, Caelan Tiongson is set to return anytime soon, while Luis Villegas might be able to join us late this conference. At least if we have them, along with Manaytay, we’re going to have a more flexibility in the front court,” added Guiao.
