Johnny O'Bryant faces an early test when Meralco battles a red-hot NorthPort squad in the Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner's Cup on Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

O'Bryant, who played with three National Basketball Association teams since being taken in the second round by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2014, is tipped to draw attention when the Bolts open their campaign against the Batang Pier in the second game at 5:45 p.m.

Meanwhile, Adonis Tierra will continue carrying the coaching cudgels for NLEX when it confronts Blackwater in the 3 p.m. first game.

Tierra, who served as interim coach following the departure of Yeng Guiao to Rain or Shine, will retain his role as newly-appointed mentor Frankie Lim will serve a one-game suspension he incurred while calling the shorts for Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in the Commissioner's Cup in 2015.

Tierra, however, clarified that he will run the system of Lim, who already had a couple of practice sessions with the Road Warriors since getting formally appointed as head coach last week.

In his first game as interim mentor, Tierra was impressive as he guided the Road Warriors to a 96-90 win that spoiled Guiao's homecoming with the Elasto Painters.

Blackwater coach Ariel Vanguardia said they have to be wary of the Road Warriors, especially since they have an array of gunners led by Kevin Alas, Don Trollano and Mike Nieto with a former Los Angeles Lakers rotation player in Earl Clark as import.

"They beat Rain or Shine with their three-point shooting in their first game and they even beat us good in the Philippine Cup," said Vanguardia, referring to their sorry loss last year where they were held to only record-tying two points in the first quarter.

Still, focus will be on O'Bryant.

Officially measured at 6-foot-8, O'Bryant has played for three NBA teams – the Milwaukee Bucks, the Denver Nuggets and the Charlotte Hornets.