Desperation Move? Rain or Shine Eyes Bench Bigs Amidst Datu Crisis
The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters' impressive $5-1$ start has been harshly tempered by reality: the season-ending patellar tendon injury to young big man Keith Datu. The loss was immediately felt in their latest $105-91$ defeat to NLEX, highlighting a severe frontline crisis that Coach Yeng Guiao is scrambling to address.
With Datu—who was averaging $10$ points and $8$ rebounds in one of his final games—out, the Elasto Painters’ frontcourt is severely compromised. They are already playing without Caelan Tiongson and Luis Villegas, while veteran Beau Belga is on a strict minutes restriction. This leaves the paint to Santi Santillan, Kris Porter, and undersized wings.
The team's primary move is elevating rookie Christian Manaytay. However, Coach Guiao is also looking at two available veteran free agents: Justin Chua and Mike Miranda.
🧐 The Question: Is Settling for Bench Bigs Enough?
The major concern for Rain or Shine is whether simply signing available bench bigs like Chua and Miranda is a sufficient solution for a team that has lost its starting-caliber center (Datu) and is attempting to sustain a championship run.
Both Chua and Miranda are unrestricted free agents with rights to salary (UFAWR2S) and have the advantage of having previously played under Coach Guiao with NLEX.
| Player | Last Notable Performance (PBA) | Avg. Stats (Career Highlights) |
| Justin Chua | 17 PTS, 11 REBS (2025 Comm Cup) | Averaged 11.6 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 1.6 BPG in the 2020 PBA Bubble. |
| Mike Miranda | 22 PTS (2020 PC vs. SMB) | Averaged 6.7 PPG, 4.4 RPG in 2020 PC; known for occasional hot shooting. |
Based purely on talent and previous peak performance, Justin Chua is unequivocally the better option. Chua, a former Most Improved Player contender, is a more reliable interior player who, at his best, was a double-double threat and an elite shot-blocker (averaging
🎯 The Real Need: A Starting Caliber Center
The decision to target bench bigs suggests Guiao is looking for plug-and-play role players who can handle 15-20 minutes of physical play and preserve Belga. However, this approach ignores the deeper problem: the team needs a starting-caliber center to anchor their defense against powerhouses like San Miguel and Magnolia.
This is precisely why the initial trade rumors for Magnolia’s James Laput—and the perennial discussion around Greg Slaughter—are more aligned with the team's true need.
Coach Guiao's dismissal of Slaughter, despite the $7$-footer's expressed desire to return, is telling. Guiao believes Slaughter "will not fit our system" due to the team’s fast-paced style.
While system fit is paramount, the immediate trade-off is clear: by prioritizing fit over size, Rain or Shine is settling for depth but remaining vulnerable to bigger teams. The signing of either Chua or Miranda may keep them in the top six, but relying on them to stop June Mar Fajardo or Moala Tautuaa in a seven-game series is a massive gamble.
The signing of a veteran role player is inevitable, but for the Elasto Painters to truly sustain their golden start, they may eventually need to put together a package for a big man who is more than just a bench filler.
Related Article: PBA Free Agency: Blackwater signed their 4th round bigman draftee!
Comments
Post a Comment