Going up against Rain or Shine is one of the toughest challenges in the PBA. Under Coach Yeng Guiao, the team has embraced a distinct identity built on relentless pace, physicality, and organized chaos.
They push the tempo at every opportunity off makes, misses, or turnovers, and force opponents to scramble in transition and match their intensity. And within that high-octane system, few players thrive more than Leonard Santillan.
In past conferences, especially when imports anchored the paint, Santillan often slid into the small forward position - a stretch-3 playing alongside traditional bigs. That role allowed him to float around the perimeter, spot up from deep, attack closeouts, and run through off-ball movement sets. Offensively, it showcased his range and timing, but defensively, it was never quite the right fit. Tasked with checking quicker wings, his value on the other end of the court sometimes got neutralized.
In the last Commissioner's Cup, Santillan posted averages of 10.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game while shooting 61.6% shooting from 2s, including 31% from three and 54% from the line. Most notably, he converted an impressive rate of his two-point attempts - clear evidence that his bread and butter was still scoring inside the arc, even while operating on the perimeter.
But the 2025 Philippine Cup has brought a new challenge. With injuries decimating Rain or Shine's frontcourt early in the conference, Santillan was forced to play center/ And for those who followed his development before his PBA debut, the adjustment came as no surprise. The move didn't just keep Rain or Shine afloat, it transformed their offense and opened up a brand new dimension.
Santillan playing the 5 doesn't mean he camps under the rim, fighting for putbacks and boxing out. That's never been his game. For years, Rain or Shine has valued big men with range and vision - players who can pop out to the perimeter, stretch the defense, and create room for guards to attack. Santillan fits that mold, but he brings even more to the table.
He has enough length and mobility, with the strength to battle traditional centers and the quickness to expose them on the other end. With more on-ball reps this season, he's also become more confident putting the ball on the floor - taking slower defenders off the dribble and finishing in traffic.
In simpler terms, Santillan is a matchup nightmare in an all-Filipino setting: Too agile for post defenders and too skilled to be left alone on the arc.
Statistically, his leap has been undeniable. Through the early part of the conference, Santillan is averaging 18.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting a solid 59.2 TS%. He leads Rain or Shine in scoring and rebounding and also paces the team in made 3s with 13. For a player operating as the team's de facto center, that's a rare and valuable combination.
His impact was on full display in a tightly contested matchup against Converge. With Rain or Shine down to just one healthy big, Santillan went toe-to-toe with the formidable frontcourt of Justin Arana and Justine Baltazar, putting up 26 points in a losing effort. With Keith Datu still easing back from injury and veteran Gabe Norwood, now in the twilight of his career and providing limited support, it was clear that Santillan was holding the fort nearly on his own.
Then came the then-undefeated Magnolia squad. With Rain or Shine finally fielding a full frontcourt rotation, Santillan was still the key to unlocking the game. During a decisive 30-19 third-quarter run, Guiao went back to the now-familiar Santillan-at-the-5 setup. It worked wonders.
Magnolia's bigs were pulled out of the paint, and Rain or Shine capitalized with a more open floor. Santillan served as a pick-and-pop threat, operated as a dribble handoff hub in zoom actions, and triggered empty side ball-screens that confused defenders and limited help-side coverage.
Despite having a full frontcourt rotation available, Rain or Shine leaned on Santillan's unique skill set to dictate matchups. It's a testament to the trust he's earned and the value he brings when the team needs to shift gears mid-game.
"Actually before practice, nageextra-work talaga ako lalo na sa shooting. And kahit nandyan si Keith [Datu] and Beau [Belga], kailangan ko maging agresibo sa depensa tsaka sa rebounding," Santillan mentioned about his role of playing different roles in this conference.
With Santillan anchoring five-out actions and stretching opposing frontlines, Rain or Shine's offensive identity remains stable and arguably even more unpredictable. Santillan's ability to operate as both a floor-spacer and inside operator adds layers to their halfcourt execution, giving them a versatile foundation even in the absence of traditional bigs.