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Grading the 2013 PBA Rookie Draft

The PBA 2013 Rookie Draft took place on 03 November 2013 at the Robinsons Place Manila, where a huge crowd gathered to witness the selection of players, some of whom will very soon be the newest talents to play in the PBA. Each of the ten PBA teams was represented by management personnel, coaches, and/or players, and the more than seventy draft hopefuls brought along family and friends for support. At about 4:20 p.m., PBA Commissioner Chito Salud announced the first name (almost seven-foot former Ateneo Blue Eagle Greg Slaughter), and about two hours later, ended with the forty-fourth and last name called, Mark Bringas of FEU. In between, there were surprises, cheers, jeers, transactions that left many puzzled, and several light moments showcasing the joy and triumph felt by the draftees, who moved a step closer to their lifelong dreams of playing in the PBA.

The draft crops that stood out the most for me are those of Barangay Ginebra, Globalport and Rain or Shine. Here's a breakdown of how each team fared:

Barangay Ginebra Greg Slaughter, James Forrester, John Usita, Alvin Padilla and Jens Knuttel. Both can immediately help the team. It was crazy to pass up on a very big and tall (just under 7 feet tall) man like Slaughter with ample skills on the post and a deft shooting touch out to seventeen feet. The Forrester choice at 4th overall surprised many, but a writer friend had told me he heard Ginebra would pick Forrester at that spot, so I wasn’t as surprised as others. He has a lot of upside and will learn the tricks of the game from guys like Mark Caguioa and JJ Helterbrand. Not too shabby. Usita is huge (6’6, over 300 lbs), while guards Padilla and Knuttel will struggle for a roster spot. Grade: A

GlobalportTerrence Romeo, RR Garcia, Isaac Holstein, Nico Salva. Jopher Custodio, and LA Revilla. Talk about revamping a lineup! The Batang Pier are definitely more “bata” now, with younger guys taking over, bringing with them so much talent. It’s clear what Romeo, Garcia and Salva can bring, but the Holstein choice may prove to be just as important down the line, if he can shake off his years away from competitive basketball and immediately adjust to PBA post/paint play. Custodio and Revilla might find it hard to crack the now guard-heavy lineup, but both are talented and Revilla may be a steal. Grade: A+

RELATED: Globalport is biggest PBA draft winner

Rain or ShineRaymond Almazan, Alex Nuyles, Jeric Teng, Gayford Rodriguez and Ervic Vijandre. Almazan will be the apex of an impressive frontline for the Elastopainters, providing length and athleticism that the other ROS bigs do not. He should fit perfectly, but will probably need to bulk up a bit. Beau Belga already began his feeding program by offering him some barbecue on live television. Nuyles is steady and strong, a no-frills athlete who will work hard everyday. Teng falling to the 12th pick was definitely a big surprise. He is smart enough to find ways to contribute, whether it be scoring, passing, or defending. Plus, he’s clutch. Rodriguez is regarded as a shooter who may find time, while actor/model Vijandre, if he makes the lineup, will surely bring in more fans for ROS. Grade A+

RELATED: Rain or Shine draftees hit the ground running

San Mig CoffeeIan Sangalang, Justin Chua, Justin Melton, and JR Cawaling. Sangalang will help immediately as the post guy for which San Mig has been craving. He also adds defensive depth to an already lengthy, albeit aging, frontline. The Chua choice as the last pick of the first round raised some eyebrows, but he has been dominant in the D-League and, at the least, will hit the open shot. Melton is a small but spit-firish guard with incredible athletic ability. I had the chance to watch him play for the Gilas cadet pool last January and in the ABL and he can be effective in spurts. Cawaling was an original Gilas member whose stock dropped considerably after an unimpressive last UAAP season. Grade: A-

AlaskaRyan Buenafe, Ping Exciminiano, and Raymund Ilagan. Easily the most surprising pick of the first round, maybe of the entire draft, was Buenafe at 8th. Coach Luigi explained that he thinks Buenafe can fit in seamlessly in the team’s system, with a high basketball IQ and the ability to pass the ball to the right spots. I’ve always been a Buenafe fan and while his draft position surprised me, I understand what Trillo is talking about. This pick could prove to be one of the draft’s smartest moves. Trillo did mention, however, that the first thing Buenafe has to do is lose some weight, which has been a problem for years. Exciminiano will challenge for a guard spot, while Ilagan may break the lineup as a young undersized forward. Grade: C+

READ ALSO: The unrealized potential of Ryan Buenafe

Talk ‘N TextJP Erram, Robbie Celiz, Eliud Poligrates, Oping Sumalinog, and John Villarias. TNT has such a powerhouse lineup that it really doesn’t need much help, particularly for the Philippine Cup, where it is the defending champ. All its picks seem to be “tryouts” for the young gentlemen selected. Erram has size (6’7), while Celiz has a shot to stick at forward. Sumalinog, though is the intriguing one, as he has a lot of talent but, for some reason, has never shined as brightly as expected. Poligrates and Villarias will learn a lot from Jimmy Alapag and Jayson Castro, two of the best. Grade: C-

Air 21Eric Camson, Joshua Webb, Angelo Ingco, and Randolph Chua. Considering that the Express did not have a first round pick, the team seems very happy to have acquired Camson, who can provide immediate frontcourt help. He is a fighter who will surely benefit from playing beside Asi Taulava. Webb, many have said, might be a better pro than college player, if he finds his role and uses his high energy to the team’s advantage. Ingco and Chua will try to find roster spots at guard. Grade: C

Petron Samuel Joseph Marata and Nate Matute. Like TNT, Petron does not need much to add to its roster. Its first pick, Marata, a former UP Maroon, was made in the third round, and, should the Boosters need someone to spot up from outside, he could be the one. Matute, as well, likes to shoot and, I heard from a few assistant coaches, could help a team needing outside bombs. Neither of them is assured of a roster spot, though. Grade: Incomplete

MeralcoAnjo Caram, Mike Parala, Mark Lopez, Ron Guevarra, and Mark Bringas. Like Petron, Meralco’s first pick was in the third round. Caram is a small guard who could get a good look as a back-up. Parala is a frontline player who put up solid numbers in his last year in college. Lopez and Guevarra are guards, while Bringas is a bruising, but undersized, forward. They will all be hard-pressed to make the lineup. Grade: Incomplete


BarakoJeric Fortuna, Carlo Lastimosa, Darwin Cordero, Jett Vidal and Mike Silungan. Gee, you think Barako was looking for guards? All five of its picks are back court guys. Jeric Fortuna could be the steal of the draft, as he can step right in and contribute. Lastimosa, Vidal, and Silungan can score in bunches. I don’t know much about Cordero, but he had a large group of fans present at the draft, one holding up a sign saying “Cordero: Bangis ng Mindanao.” We’ll see. But these picks are grossly overshadowed by the fact that Barako had three first round picks, and traded them all away for some veteran players. The three picks turned out to be Forrester, Romeo and RR Garcia. If you were looking for guards, those three weren’t bad at all, right? We’re all still shaking our heads. Grade: F

RELATED: PBA Commissioner Chito Salud defends Barako trades

Overall, the biggest surprises for me would have to be Buenafe selected at 8th overall and Teng falling to 12th. Possible steals of the draft, as mentioned above, are guards Revilla and Fortuna. Only time will tell, of course, who among the players drafted will make an impact in the PBA. For some, they will immediately contribute, for others, maybe later on. Some may never play in the PBA, and may even be outclassed by those who were not selected. Training camp is short, as the 39th Season of the PBA opens on 17 November 2013, so good luck to all the players drafted, and the undrafted free agents as well. Hope to see many of you in the league soon.

You can follow Charlie on Twitter @CharlieC.

Editor's note: The blogger's views do not represent Yahoo! Southeast Asia's position on the topic or issue being discussed in this post.