Grading the teams: 2014 PBA Rookie Draft marks
Once again held at the Robinsons Place Manila, the 2014 version of the PBA Rookie Draft took place last Sunday. All in all, 41 names were called and, as we all know, of that number, only a few will make opening day rosters or even be tapped as practice or reserve players. The difficulty of making it to the PBA is apparent, except if your surname is Pacquiao, as each year, only a handful of draftees make the cut despite obvious talent. The two new PBA teams, the Kia Sorentos and the Blackwater Elite participated, picking 11th and 12th, respectively in the first round and second rounds, while picking in a pre-approved order during the Third Round, where the ten other veteran teams were already excluded.
Is it safe to say that all the third-rounders are longshots at this point? Some might stick as the two new teams look to find a nice mix of veterans and rookies who fit into their coaches’ strategies. There are some talented fellows among the seventeen players picked in Round 3, so let’s see how they impress their teams in the next few weeks. Good luck to them!
Grand Slam Champion San Mig Coffee did not have any draft pick, but the team, as we all know, is still solid. Meralco, on other hand, struggled through last season, but, likewise, due to past trades and transactions, came away with no one in this last Draft. Initial reactions from fans indicate that Alaska, Rain or Shine and GlobalPort are the clear winners of the 2014 PBA Rookie Draft. Let’s see how each team did in the first two rounds.
Alaska – Chris Banchero, Rome dela Rosa and Junjun Alas. Banchero at fifth was pretty surprising. Some say he is overrated, but I watched him when he was playing in the ABL and he looked pretty impressive to me. Of course, the PBA is a different league that can expose a lot of deficiencies, but Banchero seems determined to prove everybody wrong. He is quick, can leap, and can score. He will be exciting to watch and Coach Alex Compton should enjoy mentoring him. Banchero also brings a sea of admiring fans who will watch if only to get a glimpse of his movie-star looks. Dela Rosa is another solid pick, the first of the second round, who showed good skills on the wing and leadership qualities as the captain of the multi-titled San Beda Red Lions. Alas, the son of Assistant Coach Louie Alas, needs to work hard to crack the lineup, but with his dad pushing him, you know he will make the push. Grade: A
Rain or Shine – Kevin Alas, Jericho Cruz, Kevin Espinosa, Michael Gamboa. Kevin Alas is a sure-shot type of player. Yes, he will make mistakes, take some off-balance shots, and have bad shooting nights, but his upside is tremendous. He has had invaluable experience with Gilas Pilipinas and will blossom under Coach Yeng Guiao, who seems to be able to bring out so much from his guard-recruits. The Paul Lee saga, though, will impact how much Alas will be able to do, but there is no doubt as to his abilities. Cruz was solid in university ball, particularly during his last season at Adamson. I am not sure which position he will play in the pros, but then there are many multiple-position and undersized players in the Elastopainters squad who have flourished. Espinosa was purportedly on the ROS radar already last season, but he failed to make the Draft deadline. He did not have an impressive college career, but he was supposed to have had a great workout with this team. Gamboa is a smallish guard who can be considered a longshot, but whose heart is big enough to prove otherwise. Grade: A
GlobalPort – Stanley Pringle, Anthony Semerad, Prince Caperal, John Pinto. The Batang Pier got their guy at number one overall. Pringle brings a total package to a team that struggled last season, despite some big names in its lineup. The question is, can he make them respectable or even a contender? He surely has the skills. The former Penn State Nittany Lion, who shined brightly in the ABL, has also played as an import in Europe. A veteran at 27 years of age, he will need limited adjustment time and is expected to contribute immediately. Semerad, the sweeter-shooting twin from San Beda, adds depth at the shooting forward slot. Caperal is a big man (6’6”) who can mix it up inside, while Pinto is a scoring guard. They both have an outside chance of making the team. Grade: A-
San Miguel Beer – Ronald Pascual. Surprise, surprise. Pascual was one part of the dreaded “three-headed monster” of San Sebastian with Calvin Abueva and Ian Sangalang, two fellows who had stellar rookie years in the PBA. However, not many, if at all, expected him to go at number three overall. SMB Coach Leo Austria already explained why the team made the pick. He thinks Pascual is the perfect fit at small forward behind Chris Lutz. Pascual can shoot, but is erratic doing so. He is tough, though, and there is a lot of upside to his game, but SMB only had one pick and Beermen fans aren’t convinced it was well spent. Pascual needs to prove them wrong. Grade: C
NLEX – Matt Ganuelas Rosser. The team formerly known as Air 21 had its sights set on Rosser and was ecstatic to get him at number four overall. The former Cal State Poly Pomona and Gilas Pilipinas player is tall at 6’5” and brings all-around skills. Remember, this was a team on the rise last season and, despite some changes (Joseph Yeo to Ginebra, and some other rumored upcoming trades), he can make them better in a Gabe Norwood-type role. Grade: B
Barangay Ginebra – Rodney Brondial. Despite not being an outstanding player at Adamson, Brondial showed he works hard on the boards, can score when he decides to and adds even more depth to an already imposing Ginebra frontline. Ginebra fans seemed to be pleased with this sixth overall pick, whose idol is Marc Pingris. If he can do some of the stuff his idol does, then this grade could go up. Grade: C
Talk ‘N Text – Harold Arboleda. The still-formidable Texters only had one pick, twentieth overall, and used it to get Arboleda, a University of Perpetual Help forward who can score, rebound, and even pass the ball. His size (6’2”) works against him though. Grade: D
Barako Bull – Jake Pascual, David Semerad, Philip Paredes, Philip Morrison, Gab Banal. Like last year, Barako picked five players in the latest Draft. Pascual is a talented player who has a nose for the ball. At only 6’3 though, he may find it hard amongst the tall trees in the PBA paint. He needs to work on his offensive moves, and use all of his defensive capability to be a factor. Semerad is not as polished as his twin (picked by GlobalPort) offensively, but is strong and might provide frontcourt depth. Paredes and Banal did not stand out in the collegiate leagues and might find it hard to stick. Morrison, an ABL veteran, may be a sleeper. Grade: C
Kia – Manny Pacquiao, Kyle Pascual. The Pacquiao pick speaks for itself. It looked pretty unlikely that anyone was going to spoil the Kia party and pick the soon-to-be playing coach, but the franchise insisted on getting him at eleventh overall anyway, just to be sure. There was surely a lot more talent available at that slot, but there’s a reason for everything. Pascual is a center with a winning pedigree at San Beda. He is more of a role player. Grade: F
Blackwater – Juami Tiongson, Frank Golla. There seems to be a liking for former Ateneo Blue Eagles on this team. Tiongson, who played a big role in his later years in Ateneo, was not expected to be picked in the First Round, but when a team has its sights set on someone (see Kia), it will get him if he’s there. Golla had an unimpressive university career and this pick surely raised some eyebrows. He needs to be more aggressive and show a willingness to mix it up to earn a slot on this PBA newcomer team. Grade: D
Three Pascuals, two Semerads, two Pacquiaos (Kia picked Manny’s cousin, Rene, in the Third Round), and a big number of PBA hopefuls were called out on Draft day. Many will drift away into oblivion. Some will make a fleeting appearance. Some will achieve success, but for how long? A number of those undrafted will find their way on to a roster, in the PBA or elsewhere, somewhere down the road. As many established PBA players have been tweeting in the days since the Draft, “Keep working!”
You can follow Charlie on Twitter @CharlieC.
