Sneak Peek into the 2007 PBA Draft: Part III

TEAM NEEDS:

Please find below an analysis of each team's needs:

Air21 Express
Last season’s W-L Record: 21-23 (0.48 PCT), Ranked 7^th overall
Rank each conference: 8^th place (10-12) Philippine Cup, 6^th place (11-11) Fiesta Cup
# Picks: two first round picks (#5, #8), two second round picks (#14, #19)

The team has two first round picks, which is quite a bounty in a draft that is so deep and talented. In past drafts, the Express have always went with the best player available route and I don’t expect things to change this season. Big men JR Quinahan, Ken Bono, Samigue Eman, and Joe Devance will be a premium in the draft and expect the Express to dip their hats into at least one of them. Exciting players such as JC Intal, Ryan Reyes, Marvin Cruz could find their way into the Express’ camp because of their ability to score and make plays. Coach Robert Jaworski has a knack for finding unpolished games and his reputation as a master motivator could propel the careers of Ranidel de Ocampo, Arwind Santos and Gary David to greater heights this year. The addition of Jaworski alone makes the Express’ offseason an already successful one.

Alaska Aces
Last season’s W-L Record: 29-23 (0.56 PCT), Ranked 5^th overall
Rank each conference: 7^th place (9-12) Philippine Cup, 1^st place (20-11) Fiesta Cup
# Picks: two first round picks (#6, #7); one second round pick (#16)

It’s hard to see Alaska making many mistakes with their two first round picks this year. The Aces have usually made good decisions with their past draft choices and they haven’t done anything of foolish nature yet to make me change that perception. Tim Cone likes players who play within the team system, players who are hardworking, have court smarts and have ability to play on both ends of the court. Ryan Reyes and Doug Kramer are two players that make sense for Tim Cone and the Aces. Reyes will be the answer to the Aces’ problems in the backcourt. Reyes’ ability to play either backcourt spots would be invaluable as he cannot only spell Mike Cortez but also start with him in the backcourt, relegating Willie Miller as perhaps, the league’s best sixth man! Kramer is like a Hugnatan clone, who has a nose for the ball and the ability to defend the paint despite being undersized at 6-4. Other players who could interest the Aces are flashy guard Daryl Pepito from Australia and ex-Green Archer Ryan Araña. However, if either Ken Bono, JR Quinahan, Samigue Eman and Joe Devance slides, expect the Aces to grab one of them.

Coca-Cola Tigers
Last season’s W-L Record: 14-27 (0.34 PCT), Rank 9^th overall
Rank each conference: 9^th place (6-15) Philippine Cup, 7^th place (8-12) Fiesta Cup
# Picks: two first round picks (#4, #9), no second round pick

The Tigers have two first picks in the draft and will use them to continue building their team. Their original pick (#2) went to San Miguel in the 2004 trade involving Dale Singson. They don’t have a second round pick because they traded it to Sta Lucia in the Alex Cabagnot deal last season. What the Tigers need at this point are big men who can help Ali Peek off the boards. Peek succeeded in protecting the rim for the Tigers last season because he managed to stay away from foul trouble and injuries but asking him to duplicate that effort this season may be asking too much. Options at #4 could be anyone from among Samigue Eman, Joe Devance, Ken Bono, and JR Quiñahan. Bono makes a lot of sense for the Tigers, if he is still available. He can play together with Peek and form what could be a dreaded 1-2 inside-outside combo in the frontcourt. Devance could also be a great pick if he makes it to the draft. The #9 pick could yield another young frontliner in Yousif Aljamal or a volume shooter in Ronjay Buenafe. Jeff Chan could also be considered.

Sta Lucia Realtors
Last season’s W-L Record: 18-28 (0.39), Ranked 8^th overall
Rank each conference: 6^th place (13-14) Philippine Cup, 9^th place (5-14) Fiesta Cup
# Picks: one first round pick (#3), two second round picks (#11, #13)

Sta Lucia bigs Dennis Espino and Marlou Aquino are not getting any younger and if there is a better time to grab big players from the draft pool, it is now. Ken Bono and JR Quiñahan headline the list of legit bigs in the draft. They’re big, talented and can score. Ken Bono is not a supreme rebounder nor a shot-altering type but he will give the team a different dimension on the floor. He is a deadshot from the perimeter and from every distance he sets his eyes on. He will command double-teams on the low block and allow Williams to sneak inside for breath-taking slams. Quiñahan is like a young Marlou Aquino, in terms of shotblocking potential and intimidation factor. He can also score from the low blocks and has a soft touch from within 15 feet and can also bring down the ball. The team’s salary cap issues forced them to trade talented guard Alex Cabagnot for the chance to unload Duremdes’ humungous contract. Denok Miranda has shown flashes of brilliance as a lead guard during several stretches, but Sta. Lucia brasses remain unsure if he’ll be able to go past the levels of a Jayjay Helterbrand and a Jimmy Alapag as the league's top backcourtmen. It wouldn’t hurt if they take a look at some of the point guard hopefuls in the draft like Ateneo guard Macky Escalona, UP’s Marvin Cruz or FEU’s Jonas Villanueva. These players could be available in the second round. They’re crafty, have shown good leadership skills during their amateur playing days, and could be excellent materials for the pros.

Purefoods TJ Giants
Last season’s W-L Record: 18-24 (0.429 PCT), Rank 6^th overall
Rank each conference: 5^th place (12-11) Philippine Cup, 8^th (6-13) place Fiesta Cup
# Picks: no first round pick; one second round pick (#15)

Without a first round pick (the team traded their rights to Air21 in the 2005 Jean Marc Pingris trade), things could be a lot difficult for Purefoods to get a quality guy in the draft. The team still has the fifth pick in the second round but how many players drafted in the mid second round-down actually made a meaningful impact to a team? Actually, we could name quite a few: Ato Agustin (2nd round), Leo Austria (5th round), Boy Cabahug (2nd round), Larry Fonacier (2nd round), and Ricric Marata (3rd round). The Giants are hoping that anyone from among Jeff Chan, Macky Escalona, Khiel Misa, Marvin Cruz and Ronjay Buenafe slips down to #15. The Giants still have room for a backup center and a small forward but if the team succeeds in getting Mark Telan from Air21 that could answer their problems at those spots. Telan can play all three frontline positions.

San Miguel
Last season’s W-L Record: 36-24 (0.60 PCT), Rank 1^st overall
Rank each conference: 2^nd place (19-11) Philippine Cup, 5^th place (17-13) Fiesta Cup
# Picks: one first round pick (#2), no second round pick

The Beermen need to evaluate carefully their draft plans this season. They have the second pick in the draft and have a great opportunity to draft one of the most popular amateur players in the land in JC Intal but does drafting the player dubbed as "The Rocket" make it the wisest decision for San Miguel? The team is already well-stacked in every position. They’re among three teams in the league (aside from Talk N Text and Brgy Ginebra) who I feel no longer need to make any changes to its roster. Intal, as talented as he might be, has to challenge Danny Seigle, Lordy Tugade, Wesley Gonzales, Larry Fonacier, Dondon Hontiveros and Willie Wilson for playing minutes at either of the swing positions. Getting less exposure would make it difficult for him to achieve his potential and stunt his growth as a player. Getting big men Joe Devance and Ken Bono could be better options for the Beermen, especially if the rumors of a Dorian Peña trade in the offseason materialize. Both of these guys could be nice upgrades and have the unique skillsets that will present a different weapon for the Beermen in the frontline. Trading the pick to next year’s could also be good but bear in mind that the draft this year is deeper and more talented.

Red Bull Barako
Last season’s W-L Record: 32-21 (0.60 PCT), Ranked 4^th overall
Rank each conference: 4^th place (17-12) Philippine Cup, 3^rd place (15-9) Fiesta Cup
# Picks: one first round pick (#10), two second round picks (#17, #20)

The Barakos know how to spot talent in the draft. Just take a look at their draft picks during the previous seasons: Enrico Villanueva, Larry Fonacier, Leo Najorda, Cyrus Baguio, Paolo Bugia, Willie Miller to name a few. They all have made contributions to the team and made their own mark in the league. Come draft day, cage observers will again be taking a long and hard look at how Red Bull does it again. Because the draft is incredibly deep, we could see some blue chip prospect slipping. This could be another Enrico Villanueva story here. Villanueva was taken only after hearing the names of 6 players before him in the 2003 draft. Everyone knows how Villanueva rose from being low first round pick to being a 2006 BPC awardee. Quiñahan could follow Villanueva’s route. He is low-key and has a great chance of slipping all the way down to the end of the first round if teams elect to get Manila and foreign-bred cagers. Red Bull needs another low post operator after dealing Villanueva last season. Quiñahan, though not athletic like Villanueva, has better defensive ability, has a soft shooting touch from the perimeter and has a no-frills attitude, the kind of player coach Yeng Guiao loves from his players. Other players who could pull a surprise are Ronjay Buenafe, Marvin Cruz, Macky Escalona and Jeff Chan. Buenafe will be huge for the Barakos if they still find him available at #10. He can score and will be a factor on both the offensive and defensive rotations. He will immediately make the Barakos forget Lordy Tugade and Larry Fonacier.

Talk N Text Phonepals
Last season’s W-L Record: 36-27 (0.57 PCT), Ranked 3^rd overall
Rank each conference: 3^rd place (16-13) Philippine Cup, 2^nd place (20-14) Fiesta Cup
# Picks: no first round pick, one second round pick (#18)

The Talk N Text Phonepals belong in the same boat as Purefoods and Brgy Ginebra – the only teams in the league that are without a first round pick in the coming PBA draft. The Phonepals, though, don’t figure to have any use for it. The Phonepals traded their first round pick this year in a deal which netted them Renren Ritualo from Air21 and Don Allado from Alaska. For Talk N Text, the prize of getting Renren and Don make up for the lost opportunity to draft one young stud for the team. Renren remains one of the league’s best shooters and Don is a quick big man who can still be a factor on both ends of the court. Looking at Talk N Text’s lineup, you would probably see that it is very deep (at least two-deep in every position) and has firepower everywhere. Drafting #18 in a very deep draft could yield exciting young prospects like Joel Solis, Khiel Misa, Kenneth Cuyokang, Francis Barcellano, and Daryl Pepito for the Phonepals.

Brgy Ginebra Kings
Last season’s W-L Record: 33-17 (0.66 PCT), Ranked 2^nd overall
Rank each conference: 1^st place (20-9) Philippine Cup, 6^th place (13-8) Fiesta Cup
# Picks: no first and second round picks

The team will not be having any draft picks this year (unless the league expands to a three-round draft). They traded their picks to land Rafi Reavis, Billy Mamaril, Rudy Hatfield, Ronald Tubid in separate deals. Considering the run made the Gin Kings last season featuring those four players, it was a great deal.

Welcoat Dragons
Last season’s W-L Record: 7-29 (0.19 PCT), Rank 10^th overall
Rank each conference: 10^th place (3-15) Philippine Cup, 10^th place Fiesta Cup (4-14)
# Picks: one first round pick (#1); one second round pick (#11)

Finishing dead last for two conferences was probably not part of the team’s plans the past season. Despite being a newcomer in the league, the Dragons have a rich basketball tradition in the amateurs and they were hoping that their success will continue to rub off them in the pros. I guess nothing prepared them for a disaster that would follow. The Dragons won the draft lottery over Coca Cola and will exercise that pick to continue to build a strong foundation for the future. The team needs help at virtually all positions. They’re reportedly eyeing former University of Mindanao stalwart Samigue Eman and all of 6-10 and 240 lbs of him to be their number one pick. Drafting Eman will entail a lot of risks for the Dragons. But if there is one team who can risk drafting a project like Eman, it is Welcoat. The team knows him inside and out, what Eman is capable of doing on the court, and what he might be five years down the road. Eman’s size, athleticism, and upside are very hard to pass up, that is why I believe will make everything possible just to see Eman does not leave their backyard. The draft is so deep, it could drop several notable names down to the second round. Macky Escalona, Jonas Villanueva, Khiel Misa, Marvin Cruz, to name a few, will be huge upgrades over backup point guard Froilan Baguion.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 7th, 2007 at 11:09 am, categorized as PBA. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.