PBA-DL: Absence of Slaughter, Sangalang can still be felt by NLEX

Despite thrashing the Hog's Breath Cafe Razorbacks, 90-54 on Tuesday, the loss of Greg Slaughter and Ian Sangalang still looms over the heads of head coach Boyet Fernandez and the NLEX Road Warriors.

[Related: NLEX notches first Foundation Cup win, blows out Hog's Breath Cafe]

The NLEX head coach said as defending champions, his team did not expect to be playing catch-up so early in the conference.

"I never thought they would leave us," said Fernandez. "Pinlano na namin lahat 'to, we had everybody in our rotations. But it was just a short two weeks between conference tapos ang dami nang biglang issues."

At the start of the Foundation Cup, Greg Slaughter expressed his desire to catch up with academic requirements with Ateneo. On the other hand, former "Pinatubo Trio" member Ian Sangalang decided to play for EA Regen Medical Group, a squad comprised mostly of Pampanga standouts.

The changes have been palpable, as Jake Pascual has been thrust into the role of starting center, alongside Nico Salva. Fernandez has toyed with various front courts featuring EJ Camson and Matt Ganuelas, but none of them strike the same fear that his twin towers struck in the hearts of their opponents.

Fernandez explained that the changes were not just cosmetic, but rooted in their style of play. "We always have a big guy in our system," he explained. "But without a big guy, we have to try to change our output and our system."

Nevertheless, he vowed that the Road Warriors will do the best they can from this point forward. "I'm asking all the big guys in the D-League if they want to play for NLEX, they're all welcome to try out," he joked. "But of course ayaw naming ma-mess up yung ibang teams. Kung may darating may darating, but we will abide by all the rules of the league and just have to make do with what we have." - AMD, GMA News