Terrafirma’s import remains an enigma for NLEX head coach Jong Uichico as their teams prepare to face off on Tuesday in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Uichico said he is bracing for the worst-case scenario as the Road Warriors aim to secure their second win in three games.
“Di namin alam kung lalaro import nila o hindi,” said Uichico on the eve of the match.
“Okay lang kung hindi siya lalaro, but we should be prepared for the eventuality na he will play para ma-sustain namin whatever we have gained so far.”
As of now, Terrafirma has yet to confirm if import Ryan Richards will suit up to help the team break out of their 0-2 start.
Richards played only one second in Terrafirma’s 101-113 loss to NorthPort last Saturday for reasons still unclear. This came after his debut performance against Converge, where he tallied 10 points on 5-of-16 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds in an 87-116 defeat.
If the 6-foot-11, 260-pound Richards does play, Uichico acknowledged he could pose a significant matchup problem for the Road Warriors. However, Uichico notably hinted at employing a fast-paced strategy to exploit the British-Jamaican’s slower footwork.
“Mayroon naman siyang advantages and disadvantages iyang mga imports, eh,” Uichico pointed out.
“Imports have their own strengths, so how will you be able to maximize their strengths ang tanong,” added Uichico. “May weakness din naman so papaano mo maitatago weakness.”
So far, Mike Watkins has posed no such concerns for NLEX, as he is coming off a 26-point, 25-rebound effort in a 107-95 win over Blackwater that jacked his averages to 27.5 points and 22 rebounds over two games.
Uichico credited those performances to Robert Bolick for repeatedly setting up his teammates. The ace playmaker has also seemingly found his groove after just three points in a loss to NorthPort, nothing 23 points and 10 dimes against the Bossing.
He also disclosed that Kevin Alas, who suited up for the Blackwater game but was not utilized for the second straight match, may finally see action for the first time in more than a year following his recovery from an ACL tear.
