(PBA images)
Phoenix head coach Willie Wilson wants his young backcourt of Ricci Rivero and Evan Nelle to be more than scorers when the Fuel Masters battle the Meralco Bolts on Friday. He wants them to shape the game on both ends.
“In my team, I expect everyone to play hard on offense and defense,” Wilson said. “It’s how I played. It’s how I was coached. And it’s how I coach.”
Phoenix and Meralco enter the matchup with identical 3–6 slates, heightening the stakes. Wilson believes Rivero and Nelle have the potential to tilt the matchup if they impose themselves beyond their usual production.
“We know what Ricci and Evan can do. They showed that in college. Scoring isn’t a problem for them,” he noted.
Rivero is averaging 16.7 points per game, while Nelle contributes 4.3 points and 2.4 assists as the team’s primary facilitator. But Wilson emphasized that the real challenge lies in containing Meralco’s dynamic guards CJ Cansino and Aaron Black, who combine for roughly 25–26 points, more than nine assists, and five rebounds per outing.
“If we can disrupt that backcourt, it will help us get the win,” Wilson said. “It will not be easy, but every stop we can get will matter.”
Wilson believes Rivero’s familiarity with Cansino, his former teammate at the University of the Philippines, could prove useful. Nelle, meanwhile, only crossed paths with Black in preseason tournaments before their collegiate careers diverged.
“As long as Evan and Ricci can get the job done on defense, they’ll have the freedom to do what they want on offense,” Wilson added.
Since taking over as head coach, Wilson has consistently stressed the importance of two-way basketball—a philosophy shaped by his own career as a reliable, all-around role player for Alaska, San Miguel, Magnolia, Ginebra, Barako Bull, and Phoenix.
The Fuel Masters will need that mentality in full force as they fight to stay alive in the race for a playoff seat.