2014 PBA Mock Draft: The First Round

The 2014 PBA Draft is days away. Right now the teams have gotten a closer look at the applicants though the Gatorade PBA Draft Combine. Some applicants have also received invites from the 12 PBA teams for the upcoming season.

A lot could go down from now until draft day but as of the moment, here is my 2014 PBA mock draft.

1.    GlobalPort Batang Pier selects Stanley Pringle

To the surprise of absolutely no one, the minnows on the PBA will pick the flashy guard from the Asean Basketball League. When people started saying he could be a second coming of Jayson Castro, his stock went up. At 27 years old, Pringle has some miles on him but the with the way GlobalPort is built, having veterans such as Alex Cabagnot and Jay Washington, getting an older rookie makes sense as they want to turn their fate around quickly.

2.    Rain or Shine Elasto Painters select Matt Rosser

What’s better than having Gabe Norwood on your team? Having his clone on your team too. Rain or Shine needs big but at this point they have three options. The first is to select the best available talent which should be Chris Banchero. The second option is to get the best big man available in Jake Pascual although he might be a stretch at the number 2 slot. The third is to get the best of both worlds by getting a talented semi-big. Playing him beside Norwood to defend the best scorers of the opposing team would be a adream for the Painters.

3.    Barako Bull Energy Cola selects Chris Banchero

If Barako Bull ever wants to build their franchise on someone, this could be it. Of course they could trade it again like what they did last year but I digress. Banchero is a good and marketable point guard. He will put butts on seats. He will amass a loyal following. And he will make your team better. Banchero topped all of the athletic tests in the combine which means he is both a good athlete and an intelligent basketball player as he has shown he could handle a team. He was the starting point guard of the San Miguel Beermen when they won the ABL title so that should account for something.

4.    NLEX Road Warriors select Kevin Alas

There’s no hiding the fact that the Road Warriors want their products from their PBA D-League in their pro team. Kevin Alas is PBA ready but he knows he’ll have to play better as a point guard. He worked tirelessly on his ball handling skills after leaving Letran and now he’s working on some other facets of his game.

5.    Alaska Aces select Ronald Pascual

Garvo Lanete could have been a nice pickup for Alaska at this spot but since the former Red Lion decided to spend one more year in the amateurs, the Aces should select his NLEX teammate in Ronald Pascual. Calvin Abueva reuniting with Pascual? Sounds good. Right now, Alaska needs scoring. With Cyrus Baguio slowing down and the defense concentrating on JVee Casio, they need a wing who could stretch the floor and penetrate.

6.    Barangay Ginebra Kings select Jake Pascual

Billy Mamaril is getting old. The Kings needs another bruiser to flank Greg Slaughter specially because Japeth Aguilar really likes playing as a three. During a Ginebra practice, Pascual got a busted lip, a nice welcome from kuya Billy but he played on which showed his willingness to suck up any kind of pain and continue playing. Pascual is a tough defender who has post-up moves. Head coach Jeffrey Cariaso could use him like how his mentor uses Ian Sangalang in San Mig Super Coffee.

7.    San Mig Super Coffee Mixers select Rodney Brondial

Adamson’s Rodney Brondial said he idolizes Marc Pingris. There’s no better way to start his PBA career than teaming him up with his idol. The Mixers don’t need anything from this draft. In fact, they’re better off trading it to another team for a 2015 or 2016 first rounder. But if they get no takers, Brondial is a good pick. More polished on offense compared to Isaac Holstein and Yousif Taha, Brondial showed his ability to hit the mid-range jumper under Leo Austria. If he sharpens that tool, he could be in the rotation in a few years.

8.    Barako Bull Energy Cola selects Rome dela Rosa

With all the scorers in their squad, Barako Bull needs someone to play defense and set-up his teammates. Rome dela Rosa is a proven winner with San Beda College. He is a good person to have in the locker room and a good teammate on the floor. People are sleeping on him now because he pulled a hamstring at the Gatorade PBA Draft Combine but this guy is a definite first rounder.

9.    Rain or Shine Elasto Painters select Prince Caperal

Coach Yeng Guiao could do something with a project like Prince Caperal. Even if they missed on getting Jake Pascual, Caperal is a nice consolation price as they get a big man who can help out on defense.

10.    Barako Bull Energy Cola selects Anthony Semerad.

A big body with an ability to shoot from outside, Anthony Semerad is perfect for Barako Bull. They need someone who can defend and score.

11.    Team KIA selects Manny Pacquiao.

Well, this really doesn’t need an explanation. Team KIA’s head coach will draft himself.

12. Blackwater Sports selects Jericho Cruz

Jericho Cruz is an instant impact player perfect for a team like Blackwater Sports. There have been rumors that Cruz has not practiced with any other team except this one so it's not a stretch that he'll be selected at the tail end of the first round. Although I've heard rumors that Blackwater is also considering Juami Tiongson, Blackwater might get Cruz earlier as he is the bigger name and the Ateneo point guard could still be available later on.