BY JONAS TERRADO
NLEX coach Yeng Guiao and Rain or Shine counterpart Caloy Garcia are supporting the idea of a compact schedule if the PBA can resume its season under a bubble concept.
PBA commissioner Willie Marcial earlier ruled out the possibility of shortening the Philippine Cup, with the league likely to increase the number of gamedays per week.
Both Guiao and Garcia agree that the season should be staged as late as two months as a longer tournament inside the bubble could pose some mental health issues.
“You have to compress the sked kasi ang hirap kung di mo icocompress. You hav to be in a bubble for three or four months, masisiraan ulo ng mga players, lalo na yung mga coaches,” Guiao said during Wednesday’s episode of Sports Page.
“I think there’s going to be a mental health issue kung masyadong matagal. You have to compress the league, yung sinabi ni commissioner na you have to play everyday. I think that has to happen,” added Guiao.
Garcia, for his part, said being away from their families could affect everyone’s morale if a bubble lasts longer than two months.
“If you have a bubble, you can see what the players are doing. Nakabantay sila,” Garcia said. “But the concern there is that they’re thinking of their families. May mahohomesick diyan pag matagal-tagal na nagiistay. So that’s one thing that we should also look at.
“Like what coach Yeng said, two months, probably ok na siguro yung liga,” he added.
The league is still pondering on whether to adopt the bubble concept which has become a model of success with the way the NBA has staged its ongoing playoffs at Walt Disney World in Orlando.
But there are several factors the PBA and members of its Board of Governors will ponder, namely the financial capability and suitable sites.
Among the sites the league is exploring are the Smart Araneta Coliseum, Clark, Subic, Batangas, El Nido, Baguio and even Dubai.
