By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Rain or Shine’s new head coach Chris Gavina immediately spoke about his initial adjustments for the team and that includes how he would use former PBA MVP and veteran superstar James “Big Game” Yap.
Known as one of the best clutch players in the game, Gavina planned to extend Yap’s playing time in the last minutes of the final frame and still expects him to deliver when it matters the most.
“I would love to see James play for Rain or Shine in crucial minutes of the games. Like the dying seconds of a close Game Seven match. It’s what he does best, James is best known for bailing out his team in situations like that, remember?” Gavina said.
To recall, Yap was dealt to Rain or Shine when he was still in Star Hotshots in exchange for Paul Lee, one of the most shocking trades in the history of the league.
Since landing in Rain or Shine, Yap did not get the usual touches he had when he was still in his previous team and played off the bench behind rising guards Maverick Ahanmisi, Jericho Cruz, and Rey Nambatac.
Gavina is already excited about working on the hardwood with Yap and wants to check on his conditioning especially that he will be playing a more valuable role for Rain or Shine.
“Understand that our team is coming off a long layoff, the pandemic then the short bubble season. Everybody knows James played limited minutes due to some reasons, he also had injuries, so we need to double up on how we can get his conditioning back,” added Gavina.
