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| Who will be the 2016 PBA Draft Top Pick? (Photo credit: Spin.ph) |
Also, the PBA will be welcoming its 13th franchise—the Hapee Fresh Fighters which should provide us all with even more games to look forward to and stars to cheer for.
A special shout-out goes to the folks over at PBADraft.net, as we have admittedly lost track of “who picks where” because of our day jobs. Trust that this is only the first version, and that we will most likely come up with updates in the coming weeks before D-day.
13 Hapee - Von Pessumal, SG, 6”2
The newcomers will have to make do with whoever’s left from the Gilas 5.0 lot-- which is not necessarily a bad thing should this good-looking collegiate sharpshooter be available. He is someone that Hapee could build around for now while they go through all the pains and pangs of an expansion team in its first year. If he is lucky, Pessumal could easily be Hapee’s (poor man’s) equivalent to Star’s James Yap.
12 Alaska - Roger Pogoy, SF, 6”3
The rebuilding continues for the Aces with the (sudden) exit of Cyrus Baguio and expected retirement of Dondon Hontiveros. Though they already have Rome dela Rosa and Kevin Racal in the fold, it wouldn’t hurt to add a beefy small forward who has a knack of putting together solid double-digit scoring outputs day-in and day-out. The Aces seem to have given up on the idea of ace player Calvin Abueva sliding down to the three or two spot, so Pogoy would be a pretty good fit right there.
11 Rain or Shine - Julian Sargent, SF, 6”4
Resident lockdown defender Gabe Norwood and captain Jireh Ibanes aren’t getting any younger, while rookies Don Trollano and Josan Nimes have proven to be more offense-oriented which is why we think Sargent’s going to be a great addition to RoS. We haven’t really seen Sargent unleashed owing to the limited minutes he has been playing at DLSU, but from what we’ve gathered he is exceptionally athletic, committed to defense and has respectable range. In an open-court offense that preaches equal opportunities for all, Sargent could become an overnight celebrity right away. Think about it, Paul Lee, Jeff Chan and Norwood as the starters, with a 2nd unit of Maverick Ahanmisi, Jericho Cruz and Sargent. Nice. Pretty nice.
10 Phoenix - Louie Vigil, SF, 6”3
Sure, JC Intal is our recognized “franchise player,” but skills-wise he hasn’t really blossomed into the bonafide PBA star everyone expected him to be. That’s not a knock on Intal, but just an acceptance of who he is as a basketball player. Vigil can come in and help Intal carry some of that load (being both a good player AND TV-friendly face). Though he isn’t as nimble as Intal, Vigil is able to use his size to score around the basket and rarely goes out of his comfort zone/ range.
9 NLEX - Russel Escoto, C, 6”6
A fleet-footed, defensive-oriented big man who could spell both Asi Taulava and Enrico Villanueva. Escoto will be able to provide the team with a different look which would allow them to run more as a team instead of going 4 on 5/ having to wait on Asi/Enrico. Strength will be an issue here, since Escoto isn’t a prototypical banger in the paint, but we think he's smart enough to use his speed to his advantage.
8 Phoenix - Ed Daquioag, SG, 6”0
Coach Ariel Vanguardia will most likely use his first PBA pick on a potential go-to-guy, and no one (that’s left) really fits the bill more than Daquioag. Though he isn’t as established as Ravena and Tolomia, Daquiaog is arguably the best slasher in the Gilas 5.0 pool not named CJ Perez. Daquioag could readily be inserted as the team’s token 6th man/ sparkplug off the bench while learning under Intal and Cyrus Baguio. All that’s left for the UST Tiger is to may be put on some weight and fix that broken jumpshot of his.
7 Meralco – Mike Tolomia, PG, 5”11
While Jimmy Alapag bullishly tries to keep Father Time in check, Coach Norman Black needs to fortify his guard rotation and who better to do it with than FEU’s Tolomia? Right now, they have Alapag, Baser Amer, Anjo Caram and Jon Uyloan at the point; and Ryan Buenafe and Rey Guevarra at the two (with Chris Newsome, a natural wing, serving as utility). So yeah, there will definitely be enough room to accommodate a guy like Tolomia who could either slash or shoot from deep AND run the dribble drive offense when needed.
6 Ginebra - Kevin Ferrer, SF, 6”4
The Chris Ellis experiment will soon be over for Ginebra; should the flashy Fil-Am still be unable to transform himself into a defensive player in the 2nd year of the Tim Cone Era. He has been given the minutes, and he has shown flashes, but we are also seeing rookie Aljon Mariano come through for the team with Sol Mercado even being used at the spot more and more. Ferrer? He may not jump as high as Ellis but he is a solid, lengthy defender (specially when motivated—ask Ray Ray Parks) who can wax hot from the three point line which is something Ginebra desperately needs to open the floor for bigs Greg Slaughter and Japeth Aguilar. The beauty in Ferrer’s game and why he fits with Ginebra is that he doesn’t mind waiting his turn and simply parks outside ready for the kickout pass (unlike a Mariano who needs to dribble a bit to attack or Ellis who STILL doesn’t really have a go-to-move on offense).
5 Ginebra - Jio Jalalon, PG, 5”10
We know what you are thinking, why would Ginebra go for “The Bus Driver” when they have Thompson AND L.A. Tenorio in the fold? Well, JJ Helterbrand said that he’s retiring, Sol Mercado is being groomed to be a 2-guard/ Mark Caguioa’s heir so there is space for another “big” point man when you also factor in Tenorio’s age/ wear and tear. Jalalon could easily run Ginebra’s offense as he has done in the NCAA and Gilas Cadets, with Thompson pretty much shifting from positions one to three. We are pretty sure that Thompson could play the two and three, while Jalalon is the more natural point guard. What a luxury it would be to have Tenorio, Thompson and Jalalon right? It’s like our (old) generation’s fantasy basket squad having what; Mike Cortez, Denok Miranda AND Tenorio.
4 Star - Arnold Van Opstal, C, 6”8
Because you can’t teach height but we are going to spell it out for you: S A DUBYA F T SSSSSSAAAAAWWWFFFTTTT! Sorry, but Opstal will be picked here owing to his size, looks, allegiance and potential. The thinking man would pick anyone from Jalalon, Tolomia and or Ferrer, but thanks to the midseason trade that brought in RR Garcia plus the return to form of Allein Maliksi, there’s really no immediate need for Star to go after young guards. A big however, with Marc Pingris and Rafi Reavis’ ages are, is a hot commodity. Escoto is nice, but they already have guys of his 6"6 mold in Ian Sangalang, Rodney Brondial and Jake Pascual. The extra inches mean a lot (THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!) If assistant coach Juno Sauler (who coached AVO in the UAAP) is still around by next season then this pick is pretty much set in stone.
3 San Miguel Beer - Mac Belo, PF, 6”5
Game over. The best stretch four and recognized leader/ star of Gilas 5.0 going to the best team, pound-for-pound, in the PBA. The only way the Beermen can’t or won’t go after Belo, who will instantly become Arwind Santos’ understudy and eventual replacement the way Troy Rosario is Ranidel de Ocampo’s at TNT, is if either of our projected Top 1 and 2 picks forego this year’s Draft. What does Belo bring to the SMB fold? Everything Santos brings on a good day, with more size. Hell, if you could limit Santos to 20 minutes, without a care for the world and just ball out, smh he’ll be just as beastly as Calvin Abueva. Then Belo can come in and do his rookie thing and go for 10 points and 10 boards a night as well while working off the ball from 2x PBA MVP Junemar Fajardo—which is something Belo excels in.
2 Mahindra - Kiefer Ravena, SG, 6”0
Skills-wise, we would pick Ravena over Parks. He is more polished, a proven winner who has already cast a bigger shadow than his dad, and continues to add to his offensive repertoire. Looking at the Mahindra roster, there is just no way in hell that they will go for someone else than Ravena. Sure, Belo’s size is needed, but adding him won’t readily improve their chances right away since he’s not a go-to-player. Ravena? He changes everything my simply being on the court.
1 Blackwater Elite - Ray Ray Parks, Jr., 6”4
The Chosen One. The man whose father was so good, the Most Valuable Player for foreign reinforcements was named after him. But that’s the father’s story, now it’s time for the son to step up to the plate. Can he? He’s a 2x UAAP MVP. He’s been practicing in the US for quite some time now. He makes the game look easy, though sometimes—too easy. Parks doesn’t need to take over the scoring for Blackwater, since they have both Carlo Lastimosa and Roi Sumang in the fold. What he can do, and does better than anyone else, is use those two guys to his advantage the way LeBron James did Mo Williams those early Cleveland years. This guy has legit, high basketball IQ and there is just no question that he belongs in the PBA. The only question here is, will he play hard enough or will he hold back for that NBA tryout he’s been chasing all his life?
There are other high-profile names on the bubble:
CJ Perez – he just transferred back to the NCAA and may or may not join the Draft. We’re betting on him playing a year in the NCAA if only to show his gratitude to his new alma mater (Lyceum)
Christian Hermoso – 6”8 Fil-German basketball prodigy who is already making waves overseas. We’re not sure if he’ll consider coming home just yet, since we’ve heard that some Euro teams are considering signing him.
Matthew Wright – the 6”4 sharpshooter would be a top 5 pick right away, but he chose not to play in the PBA D-League for now which could hinder his draft application.
Jason Brickman – Wright’s ABL buddy. See Wright.
Avery Scharer – he’s been in the ABL for a while now, and we’ve been keeping tabs on him. Not entirely sold on how good he is. He is skilled, sure, but there’s just something lacking. Rob Wainright feels, basically.
Who do you think will be this year's top pick? @kilikilishot on Twitter
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