Mac Belo will be reduced into an observer when Rain or Shine battles Phoenix Super LPG in the Philippine Basketball Association On Tour today at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.
Game time is at 7:30 p.m. with the Elasto Painters sending the 6-foot-3 Belo, their latest acquisition, to the bench to observe their system.
Meanwhile, NorthPort battles the debuting TNT Tropang Giga in the first game at 7:30 p.m.
Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao told Daily Tribune that they will give Belo enough time to get more accustomed to their system so he has to watch and study from the sidelines.
“He’s practiced with us for two days, so it’s too early for him to grasp the system right away,” Guiao said.
“But we will try to use him on Wednesday next week in our next game.”
Aside from learning the team’s system, Guiao wants their trainers to double up on the development of Belo, who showed up slimmer when he signed a contract with the Elasto Painters on Wednesday.
“He had lost some weight,” Guiao added.
“But that’s better than gaining weight. Maybe because he was taking care of his body as he was coming off an injury on his back, but I asked the trainers to work on Belo’s condition and we want him to bulk up around six to eight more pounds of added muscle as he will be playing the No. 4 spot.”
Despite being in his unusual playing weight, Belo impressed the rest of the Elasto Painters.
“He has good hands, has good range and can even shoot from the three-point area,” Guiao added.
“He’s quicker for a power forward and he’s so versatile and has the toughness to bang bodies with bigger guys.”
Rain or Shine assistant coach and head of basketball operations Caloy Garcia added that Belo remains a tough player even though he had lost some weight.
‘He’s practiced with us for two days, so it’s too early for him to grasp the system right away.’
“When you ask the other players, they would tell you that he’s still tough as he can bang bodies with them. So far, so good for him in the first two days of practices,” Garcia said.
Rain or Shine will take on a Phoenix squad that has just won two quick victories and shares the lead with Magnolia.
The Fuel Masters had started moving on fast even after losing rising star Encho Serrano, who opted not to renew his contract, and they have been doing things collectively on solid contributions from veteran guard RR Garcia, young players Larry Muyang and Sean Manganti, Tyler Tio and Raul Soyud.
TNT, the newly-crowned Governors’ Cup champion, faces NorthPort in the other game, but this time, it will be competing minus head coach Jojo Lastimosa, who flew to the United States and delegated the coaching duties to Sandy Arespacochaga.
