Guiao wants bigs to shore up Rain or Shine's frontline. But it appears he already has a pretty good one.
Rain or Shine Elasto Painters coach Yeng Guiao has been on record in saying that he is looking for a big man to fortify his front court—especially after letting go of burly center Norbert Torres for wing man Mac Belo.
That doesn’t mean, though, that Rain or Shine does not have talented bigs. Beau Belga is still there and is still as reliable as ever. Santi Santillan is also there, and it appears he has earned the trust of Guiao himself.
"Santi is going to be a key player in this team, if he is not a key player already," the fiery mentor told PBA.ph on Wednesday. "So, tingin namin yung generation ng mga bata na kasama sa team ngayon, isa siya sa mga pillars ng mga young players namin. That's good news for us, also for Santi. He's building up his confidence, his game.”
Santillan’s burgeoning game should come as no surprise. He is, after all, coming off a solid second season where he averaged 10.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per ball game—stark improvements from the 5.9 points and 4.2 rebounds he posted in his rookie season in 2021.
The 6-foot-4 big has continued his fine play in the PBA On Tour, contributing 12.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game for the Elasto Painters, who are currently 8-2 this preseason and are at solo second just behind the unbeaten Magnolia Hotshots.
"Santi has been playing good games. We just wanted to capitalize on that, give him more confidence, encourage him to take more shots, and be more active vocally doon sa mga kasama niya," Guiao further said about the fifth overall pick of the 2020 PBA Draft.
With the 27-year-old former De La Salle Green Archer raising his level of play, Guiao and the Elasto Painters are assured of at least two reliable big men heading into Season 48. And at least one of them might be poised to have a banner year.