The future appears bright for NLEX Road Warriors as PBA legend Jimmy Alapag returns to the Philippines to serve as head coach of the franchise ahead of the PBA 50 Governors’ Cup set to start this July.
Alapag, who is considered one of the best point guards in the history of the oldest pay-for-play basketball league in Asia, previously worked as a player development coach for the NBA’s Sacramento Kings.
With the moniker ‘Mighty Mouse’, Alapag brings a rich coaching and playing experience to the relatively young NLEX squad.
As a member of the Chot Reyes–mentored TNT team during his playing days, Alapag helped the franchise win the Philippine Cup in 2009, 2011 and 2012 as well as the Commissioner’s Cup in 2011.
Alapag won his first PBA title in 2003, when TNT captured the Philippine Cup championship at the expense of Reyes’ Coca-Cola team.
His final championship in the PBA was in 2013 when TNT, led by coach Norman Black, beat Rain or Shine in the finals of that year’s All-Filipino Cup.
Forked road for NLEX
With an NBA-calibre coach now in tow, the Road Warriors will look to repeat their initial successes in the recent PBA 50 Commissioner’s Cup, where NLEX finished as the number one seed with 10 wins and two losses in the elimination round.
However, NLEX fumbled its twice-to-beat advantage in the quarter-finals against sister squad TNT, led by former NBA player Bol Manute Bol.
The back-to-back defeats to Tropang 5G then denied the Road Warriors a much-desired return to the semi-final round.
The disappointing end to the campaign proved that NLEX remain outgunned when going toe-to-toe against their more experienced peers in the league despite having one of the deepest guard rotations in the PBA in Robert Bolick, Schonny Winston and Ljay Gonzales.
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Lacking a big man
While it can be argued that Alapag is an improvement compared to coach Jong Uichico, whose contract with NLEX ended prior to the return of the former TNT standout, it is uncertain whether coaching is the real problem preventing the Road Warriors from reaching their full potential.
In fact, Uichico’s three-guard rotation helped NLEX squeeze out memorable game winners against Meralco and Rain or Shine as well as outlast powerhouses Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and Converge FiberXers in crunch time in the recent Commissioner’s Cup.
Another angle to look into is NLEX’s lack of a true big man to help clog the paint and free up their shooters from the perimeter.
This weakness was exploited by Tropang 5G in the quarter-final encounters, where Bol became unstoppable when attacking the basket.
If Alapag can concoct a new strategy that helps NLEX maximize their strengths, the league may need to watch out for the fury of the Road Warriors this upcoming conference.
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Newsjustnews writers 
Elan Castanares 
Rosemarie Zamora