PBA: Guiao not using Mamuyac trade, injury woes as excuse for Rain or Shine's 0-2 start

After opening the previous conference with a franchise-best 7-0 run, Rain or Shine has been struggling in the ongoing Governors' Cup after dropping its first two games for the first time since the 2024 Philippine Cup.

However, head coach Yeng Guiao refused to blame the Elasto Painters' slow start on the recent trade that sent star combo guard Gian Mamuyac to Phoenix, or on the multiple injuries that have depleted the roster.

"I'm not putting forward any excuses, of course malaking bagay si Mamu sa amin pero dapat siguro tanggapin na namin ‘yung reality na nasa ibang team na siya," Guiao told reporters after their recent loss on Saturday against Meralco.

"Maraming injuries pero hindi sapat ‘yun para maging excuse namin."

Mamuyac, the fifth overall pick in the 2022 PBA Draft, played a pivotal role in Rain or Shine's rise as the league's top independent franchise, helping the Elasto Painters reach the semifinals in each of the last five conferences.

However, the Elasto Painters made a hard decision last week by trading Mamuyac to the Phoenix Fuel Masters, in exchange for a future first-round pick in Season 53.

Guiao and Adrian Nocum admitted that the sting of Mamuyac's departure was still evident in their loss to the Bolts, their first game since trading the former Ateneo standout.

Despite the emotions surrounding the trade, Guiao and Nocum said the team must now shift its focus to its next assignment—a clash against Mamuyac and Phoenix on Tuesday.

"Syempre medyo nabigla rin pero sabi nga ni coach, kasama ‘yan sa trabaho. Sobrang tiwala pa rin naman ako sa mga kasama ko," Nocum said.

"Mamimiss mo rin, syempre, pero kailangan na naming tanggapin na wala na si Mamu lalo na kalaban namin siya next game."

Aside from Mamuyac's departure, Rain or Shine has also been bitten by the injury bug.

Guiao said veteran guard Stanley Pringle could return before the league's long break from mid-August to early October, while Felix Lemetti and Santi Santillan are expected to be back after the hiatus. Keith Datu and Jun Roque, meanwhile, are targeting returns in the next conference.

Even so, Guiao is not ready to hit the panic button just yet, but he knows the margin for error is shrinking as they will face Phoenix as well as Barangay Ginebra next week.

"Tingin namin dito, moving forward, we have to win five of your ten games to have a chance. We still have eight games so in the eight games, I think we can still win five of the eight," he said.

"We’re still in the race so we’ll see next week, crucial ‘yung next week sa amin, Phoenix and Ginebra kalaban namin. I think next week will determine if we can get back into this race."

—JKC, GMA News