The long and winding road

How far can Asi take NLEX?
(Photo credit to the owner)

While their elders, Talk'n'Text and Meralco, enjoy having youthful bigs to continue building their foundations around, head coach Boyet Fernandez and his NLEX Road Warriors find themselves stuck in the mud with aging frontliners who are an injury away from retirement.

Sure, Asi Taulava (fresh from another tour of duty with Gilas 3) and Enrico Villanueva are still fearsome names and that Asi has enjoyed a renaissance of sorts the last three seasons, but can a team really pin their hopes on a 40+ year old with limited low post offense? How about Villanueva? He hasn't been the same since suffering an injury after a stint with Barako Bull and has played more like a TV-friendly version of 90s role player Chris Bolado than the "Raging Bull" we once knew.

These proud veterans are backed by Rob Reyes, Eric Camson, Mark Borboran and Jeckster Apinan. They are a solid, role-playing bunch, but not in the same area as TNT's Moala Tautuaa and Troy Rosario, and Meralco's returning Rabeh Al Hussaini.

Definitely nowhere near.