Things are looking up for the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in PBA Season 49.
The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters are unofficially the big winners in the PBA Season 49 Rookie Draft.
Coach Yeng Guiao tabbed a seasoned big in Caelan Tiongson, someone the youthful team badly needs to make a deeper playoff run this time around.
The firebrand coach also rolled the dice by selecting a relatively unknown Felix Lemetti in the first round, and it is interesting to see whether that gamble will pay off.
The two ballers, along with returning PBA import Aaron Fuller, are expected to give the Elasto Painters the edge after the going got tough in the semifinals of the Philippine Cup last season.
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Here’s how Rain or Shine looks for the upcoming season:
Holdovers:
- Adrian Nocum
- Gian Mamuyac
- Anton Asistio
- Shaun Ildefonso
- Andrei Caracut
- Mark Borboran
- Keith Datu
- Jhonard Clarito
- Luis Villegas
- Leonard Santillan
- Beau Belga
- Nick Demusis
- Gabe Norwood
New guys:
- Caelan Tiongson
- Felix Lemetti
- Francis Escandor
Import:
Outlook:
Rain or Shine showed a lot of promise the past season, most notably against San Miguel in the All-Filipino Cup semifinals. While the Beermen made short work of them, the Elasto Painters held their own against the powerhouse squad.
[ALSO READ: PBA: San Miguel Beermen among favorites as season-opening Governors’ Cup draws near]
That gives fans so much to look forward to in the upcoming import-spiced conference.
With the addition of Caelan Tiongson and Fuller, it won’t be surprising to see the Elasto Painters back in playoff action.