Guiao confident of Painters' semis chances against Tigers

Yeng Guiao, Rain or Shine's colorful coach, is confident the Elasto Painters will finally achieve its long-awaited finals appearance in the 2011 Philippine Cup. "I feel really good the way we're playing," said Guiao, who steered the team to only its second semifinals appearance since 2006, the year it first entered the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). Standing on Rain or Shine's path of barging into the championship round for the first time is explosive guard Gary David and the Powerade Tigers. The two teams play Game 1 of their best-of-seven series starting on January 4 at the Astrodome. And Guiao likes his team's chances against Powerade. "I think we can take on Powerade in a seven-game series." David, who averaged 34.5 points in the Tigers' quarterfinal match against top-ranked B-MEG, is certainly the player to watch in the series especially after torching the Llamados for 37 points in their do-or-die encounter for a Final Four seat in the season-opening conference. But Guiao knows he had the manpower capable of limiting the offensive production of the hot-shooting wingman out of Lyceum of the Philippines. "We have tall and quick players to match up with David," said Guiao, mentioning the likes of defensive stopper Gabe Norwood and tough guards Ryan Araña and Jireh Ibanez. The Elasto Painters actually was successful in limiting David's output, holding him to just 14 points in a 96-93 Rain or Shine victory in their lone elimination round game. This doesn't mean Guiao is already looking past the upset-conscious Tigers. "You have to respect what Powerade has achieved," said the outspoken coach, whose Elasto Painters swept the Barangay Ginebra Kings in their best-of-three quarterfinals series. "They're (Tigers) peaking at the right time, and we have to address their strength at the point and wing positions." The way Rain or Shine has been assembled and playing right now had Guiao comparing the Painters to another great squad he previously steered to a number of championships in the past—Red Bull. "It's gratifying to see the team transform and acquire the toughness to perform at this level. The guys have settled down to embracing our system the same way the old Red Bull team embraced our system and team philosophy. Everyone is equal and there are no superstars," he said. — JVP, GMA News