Basically, that was the case with this year’s PBA Draft. Only the first overall pick (and to some extent, the eleventh pick) was assured. The rest was in total chaos, so to speak. The only thing left to do is to wonder, how did these teams fare out.
I’ll be handing out report cards on every pick in the first round. In the future though, I may give a grade on every team’s performance in the draft. The grading system is largely based on the team’s needs, the quality of the player, and in the event of a trade, the significance of the traded asset for the draftee.
Round 1 Pick 1 – Stanley Pringle (GlobalPort Batang Pier)
Pringle was, undeniably, a lock for this spot. After deciding to join the draft, a lot of hype surrounded him, and what lucky team will be able to get hold of him.
Alas, GlobalPort is very, very lucky indeed.
Though Pido Jarencio must find a way on how to rotate him, Alex Cabagnot, and Terrence Romeo in the line-up, Pringle will obviously contribute in his own way, whether it may be in the form of scoring, passing, or rebounding.
Round 1 Pick 2 – Kevin Alas (Rain or Shine Elasto Painters)
With the imminent departure of star guard Paul Lee, Terry Yu needed an immediate replacement for him.
Then comes Kevin Alas, the Letran standout.
Kevin, having tons of international experience on his belt, has Lee’s upper body strength, the uncanny ability to create for his teammates, and his fearlessness in attacking the rim, whether its a 6’10 center or a 6’0 guard.
His three-point shot, though, is an entirely different story…
Round 1 Pick 3 – Ronald Pascual (Barako Bull Energy, traded to San Miguel Beermen for Duncil, Lanete, 2014 2nd-rounder and 2016 first rounder)
Honestly, I never expected Ronald Pascual here at #3.
Pascual, an athletic forward with a deadly outside shot, is a great 3rd pick for the Beermen. However, he may find himself scrapping for minutes against the likes of Arwind Santos, Doug Kramer, Justin Chua, Rico Maierhofer, and June Mar Fajardo. Best-case scenario is Pascual playing alongside Kramer and Fajardo in a big line-up, while at worst, he’ll be SMB’s James Forrester.
Round 1 Pick 4 – Matt Ganuelas (NLEX Road Warriors)
Although Ganuelas is one of the cornerstones of Sinag Pilipinas, he does not fill NLEX’s (then called Air21) greatest deficiency: a true point guard.
Ganuelas can dish the ball all right, and with that, he is able to play a point forward role. However, his inconsistency within the game, lack of confidence, and a shaky mid-range jumper makes him more of a liability on the offensive end. His defense though is his calling card. He can swat shots like a flyswatter with incredible timing.
Round 1 Pick 5 – Chris Banchero (Alaska Aces)
Alaska needs a back-up point guard for JVee Casio. Luckily, Chris Banchero fell down the draft ladder this far.
While initially pegged as a top-3 pick, other teams had other things in mind on draft day. It’ll probably be a blessing in disguise for Banchero, as he will have a lot of playing as a primary back-up to Casio.
In any case, Alaska may opt to start Casio and Cyrus Baguio, then Banchero and RJ Jazul will be the relievers.
Round 1 Pick 6 – Rodney Brondial (Barangay Ginebra San Miguel)
Barangay Ginebra fans, rejoice!
Finally, someone who can ably back-up on any of the feared twin towers. Brondial is a 6’5 forward with a rebounding tenacity that rivals that of Marc Pingris. He can also bang bodies with other big men. However, his lateral quickness may be an issue, but that is hardly needed in a triangle offense that Juno Sauler is implementing.
Round 1 Pick 7 – Anthony Semerad (San Mig Coffee Mixers, traded to GlobalPort with 2016 1nd-rounder for this pick, 2016 first-rounder, and 2018 second-rounder)
One-half of the Semerad Twins, Anthony is a strech forward capable of shooting the three-point shot. However, unlike other strech forwards (Jay Washington, Mick Pennisi), Semerad is perfectly capable of posting up against big men, which puts him in a huge advantage.
Surely, Anthony Semerad is an upgrade from the likes of Jewel Ponferada.
Round 1 Pick 8 – Jake Pascual (Barako Bull Energy)
The man widely known as “The Snake” is probably your average big man: scoring from the post, crashing the boards, occasionally swatting shots. But one thing sets Pascual apart from other bigs; his passing sense. He is 6’5 big man, yet he passes like Gabe Norwood or any other point forward.
And in a team that has an extremely stagnant offense that lacks an efficient reserve big man, Pascual is water in the middle of a desert. A really dry desert.
Round 1 Pick 9 – Jericho Cruz (Rain or Shine Elasto Painters)
Knowing Rain or Shine already has a lot of go-to guys (Jeff Chan, Gabe Norwood, Beau Belga, to name a few), it’s hard to think where Cruz will go with this team.
With that being said, Coach Yeng Guiao has a knack of making players effective with minimal playing time. Just ask Jervy Cruz and other Rain or Shine bench players. And there is always a place for a scorer in any team.
Round 1 Pick 10 – David Semerad (Barako Bull Energy)
Given the lack of young big men in this team, it only seemed natural that Barako got their hands on David Semerad.
And for good reason.
He may be a bench-warmer in San Beda, but given the minutes, he sure can play. Once upon a time, he led San Beda in a title-clinching match in ’86 with 15 points, 3 boards and a block in 22 minutes. Isn’t that enough proof?
Round 1 Pick 11 – Manny Pacquiao (Kia Sorentos)
In case you’re wondering, Sorentos is now Kia’s official monicker, derived from one of their car model’s names.
Back to the draft, Kia made a good move getting Pac-man. Why? Because, obviously, Pacquiao is the face of this franchise. He may not play as well as his cousin (who was also drafted by Kia), but he’s probably the only guy the average Juan may know.
Now to prove he can be a good playing coach…
Round 1 Pick 12 – Juami Tiongson (Blackwater Elite)
Though Tiongson never suited up in the D-League, he played in a few ligang labas games for the Elite. And, boy, he did impress! With Blackwater getting two brick-throwing-from-rainbow-country quarterbacks in Paul Artadi and Chris Timberlake, the sweet-shooting guard from Ateneo will prove to be an excellent choice. (GS)
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