By all accounts, it seemed the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup was the NLEX Road Warriors’ to lose. They had the best record in the elimination round at 10-2, thanks in part to a four-game winning streak heading into the postseason that saw them slip past their rivals. The Road Warriors also had a solid import in Cady Lalanne, who was a steady two-way force through the preliminaries. Facing the TNT Tropang 5G with a twice-to-beat advantage also boded well for their chances. 

But sadly, NLEX ended up wasting all those opportunities. 

Yes, the Tropang 5G are a stacked team, but they’re clearly far from their best form right now. The Road Warriors were the better shooting team in the series and had the young guns that could take down an aging yet undeterred roster. But there were some areas where NLEX could have done so much more. 

For one, Robert Bolick had limited touches in the series. Bolick had a combined 17 field goal attempts through two games, one fewer than Schonny Winston had in Game 2. Part of that may have come from trying to balance his own offense with creating for his teammates, but moments like these call for a Bolick takeover. 

Free throws were also an issue for the Road Warriors, who missed more than enough free throws that would have swung the game in their favor. The question of how many free throws went their way and against them may not apply as both NLEX and TNT gave up at least 33 free throw attempts during the series, so it all boils down to composure from what many view as the loneliest place in the world.  

Nonetheless, there were some bright spots in the conference. Going 10-2 in the elimination round of the Commissioner’s Cup is still something to tip your hat to. It’s just unfortunate the Road Warriors were unable to capitalize on it. Moreover, the emergence of Winston as a reliable option on offense is something that can not only add more balanced offense, but also provide the likes of Bolick and Kevin Alas more opportunities to get open shots. That is, if Winston remains on NLEX’s roster. 

For now, though, the NLEX Road Warriors will begin their conference break searching for answers after squandering a golden opportunity to advance and secure an elusive PBA championship. There will be those that will say that the Road Warriors opened the door for the TNT Tropang 5G and let them pass. Others will reference the underutilization of their talent. Regardless of how they are viewed and what NLEX does next, the tools are there and the excuses are running out.