2025 PBA Draft Reaction

Height is might in the PBA.
Geo Chiu 2025 PBA Draft 1st Pick
(Photo by OneSports.ph)

With the 2025 PBA Draft finally over, the dust settled and smoke cleared, Season 50 promises to offer a wave of excitement with a "new" team all set to make some noise.

And no, we are not talking about Pureblends/ Titan Maxx or whichever company decides to purchase NorthPort Batang Pier (should the sale push through in what local sports journos have been saying as a "lock, stock, and barrel" deal). We are talking about the Converge FiberXers, which appeared to be back in the hunt after looking a bit worrisome last season (following the exits of Jacob Lao and Charles Tiu). Lao of course, is back with the team, with Delta Pineda stepping in as head coach (armed with consultant Rajko Toroman).

But that's a long format entry for another day, today, let's focus on the up and coming future stars of the PBA. Let's go!

1. Geo Chiu, C, Terra Firma - during the combine, there was simply no denying that Chiu was a towering presence even if he didn't even break a sweat (literally, because he didn't participate in any of the physical activities). The kid is 6"9, has a strong looking build, and is mobile. Yes, he's raw, but he'll get time to develop on a team that you know, isn't really known for giving a F about winning. He's a project based on his whole college run, overseas run included, but still very young, looks like he's got a good head on him, and if he is able to put together 2-3 post moves, would still be okay in a league that doesn't really have a lot of locals standing over 6"7. At worst, he doesn't improve and simply fades away into obscurity. Grade: B-

2025 PBA Mock Draft

It’s that time of year again when team managers pretend they’ve watched college ball all season, agents slide into DMs, and fans pray their team won’t pick someone “for need.” Welcome to the 2025 PBA Draft—a smorgasbord of pass-first guards, system wings, and bigs who will either become rotation guys or footnote trivia in 2030.

We went deep into the archives, watched grainy Facebook Live streams, and scrolled through UAAP-NCAA highlights at 2AM to bring you this totally biased, occasionally logical, but mostly gut-feel mock draft.

O sige kayo na pogi, basta saken ang dateng.
Photo by FIBA basketball

Let’s go!

1. Terrafirma Dyip – Juan Gomez de Liaño, PG, Gilas / Everywhere Basketball Exists

The Dyip pick a player who actually has a chance of changing their franchise's fortunes. JGDL is him—crafty, confident, and clutch. Can run the break, shoot threes, and sell jerseys. May koneksyon kay coach, may following sa social media, may laro. Terrafirma finally drafts someone who doesn’t need 3 seasons to adjust. Yun lang, baka 1 season pa lang nalipat na.

2021 PBA Mock Draft V 1.0

Photo: Tiebreakertimes.ph

We are admittedly a little late to the PBA Mock Draft Party, but it's mostly because the PBA has been taking its time when it comes to the Draft applicants specifically the Fil-Foreigners who may or may not have issues with some of their paperwork.

Though I understand the need for all the red tape, since no one wants to see another Fil-Sham-gate; how hard is it for legitimate Filipinos to produce paperwork? I mean, surely, everyone carries a passport, birth certificate and all right? 

Wag na natin kasi ipilit ung lolo/lola to the 5th degree. Pasensyahan na lang.

For now, we will operate through this Mock Draft under the pretense that ALL reported applicants are ineligible. This means, you will definitely see a lot of Fil-Foreigners in the mix in the First Round.

Let's get started:

1. Terra Firma- Joshua Munzon, SG

Currently, the clear-cut top pick in most mock drafts owing to his versatility on the floor, athleticism and no-nonsense style of play. He's the ideal fit to form a deadly run and gun triumvirate with fellow former top picks CJ Perez and Roosevelt Adams; which should prove to be very fun to watch (should they be allowed to play all together and you know, no one gets shipped out in 2021).

2. NorthPort - Jason Brickman, PG 

This guy needs to be in the PBA. He's an NCAA Division 1 assists leader OF ALL TIME for crying out loud. Speed, size, high IQ-- he still needs to work on his range, the only thing missing from him basically being a Jimmy Alapag clone. Also, just the kind of point guard that NorthPort needs to get the ball to Christian Standhandinger down low and take the pressure off Robert Bolick who is a natural 2 guard.

3. NLEX - Troy Rike, PF/C 

I'm just putting this guy here because he appears to be the kind of player any team under the MVP payroll almost always gets. The Wake Forest pedigree has boosted his stock for sure, maybe working under fiery coach Yeng Guiao and playing with veterans Asi Taulava and JR Quinahan will help speed up his development.

Graduation day

The Future is NOW.

Ladies and gentlemen, here is your Gilas Pilipinas 5.0 24-man pool: amateur standouts Mon Abundo, Mac Belo, Kemark Carino, Carl Cruz, Ed Daquioag, Russel Escoto, Kevin Ferrer, Alfonzo Gotladera, Jonathan Grey, Jiovani Jalalon, Chris Javier, Ray Parks, Jaymar Perez, Von Pessumal, Roger Pogoy, Kiefer Ravena, Arvin Tolentino, Mike Tolomia, and Arnold Van Opstal; PBA players Yutien Andrada, JP Erram, Matt Ganuelas, and Almond Vosotros; and the ABL’s Matthew Wright.

With the FIBA Asia Challenge Cup all set for September and the PBA locked in its season-ending Governor’s Cup, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) have opted to send amateur stars mostly from their Cadets training pool. While no Olympic berth is at stake in the Tehran tourney, the top five teams in the FIBA Asia Challenge Cup will earn an extra berth for their subzones (i.e. Southeast Asia for Philippines, Thailand, etc.) in the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup.