3-on-3: PBA Draft 2013

MANILA, Philippines – We are less than a day away from the 2013 PBA Annual Rookie draft and while the first 3 picks are pretty much set in stone, PBA fans should still look out for surprises from the 4th pick onwards.

In this edition of Rappler’s 3-on-3, we give our picks on who will potentially be the biggest winners in this year’s draft.

Who will be the biggest surprise?

Rodneil Quiteles: Well, this is a little tricky, but I’m going with Fil-Am guard Justin Melton only because we haven’t really seen much of him and it’s a pretty deep draft pool that include proven local collegiate standouts. The guy already wowed a lot of people with his hops when he nearly matched the vertical leap test of 7-foot Greg Slaughter. From what I gather, the guy also has a decent outside shot and has the potential to be a Jayson Castro type of player.

Enzo Flojo: For bigs, it will be Eric Camson, and for guards, it will be Jett Vidal. I think Camson is a perfect fit for the pros. He has a great combination of size, mobility, and shooting at the 4 spot. If he goes to the right team and plays in the right system, he could be really effective. He’s a natural PF – a naturally good PF. As for Vidal, I think he’s enough of a stone cold sniper to really carve a niche in the PBA (I mean, Sunday Salvacion is still playing, you know). I don’t see him as a Gary D type of player right now, but if he can improve either his on-ball D or his handles (better yet, why not improve both?), then he could be an asset-in-the-making.

Levi Verora: Justin Chua is currently listed around the late 1st round or early 2nd round, but his position in the draft might just rise. He’s been a back-up in Ateneo behind Rabeh Al-Hussaini and Greg Slaughter, but his breakout performance in the PBA D-League makes him a solid choice among the applicants. Nate Matute and Ping Exciminiano may also surprise everyone. Both have what it takes to be a PBA player. Matute is a reliable backcourt gunner while Exciminiano can both be a scoring machine and a defensive stopper.

Which team will win big?

Quiteles: One week ago, I would’ve said Barako Bull, but rumor after rumor about them handing out their top 3 picks (4th, 5th, and 6th) definitely made me change my mind.

With that said, I think Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and SanMig Coffee will be the biggest winners in the draft.

The Slaughter-Ginebra connection is no mystery at this point and is just waiting to be formally announced. Anytime you get a skilled 7-footer, you win. I mean, it will probably be awhile before we see another Filipino this tall who really understands how to play the game.

If they do get the 4th pick like rumored, they have a chance to improve the youth, firepower and athleticism of their backourt. They have Jeric Teng, Terrence Romeo, and James Forrester to choose from. I ruled out RR because Ginebra already has Tenorio, Urbiztondo, and Monfort. With Ginebra’s improved size, they can afford to go small on the 1 and 2 spots.

For SanMig, I’m pretty excited to see the Tim Cone-Ian Sangalang pairing. Sangalang has the skillset to thrive on Cone’s triangle offense and we all know what the 15-time champion coach can do with big men (Sonny Thoss and a rejuvinated Yancy De Ocampo come to mind). The Mixers also have a late first round pick. They can either go big to fortify their frontline or target a wing guy as insurance for the aging Yap and Simon and the often-injured Allein Maliksi.

Flojo: Ginebra will win by picking Greg Slaughter even if he doesn’t perform as well as June Mar Fajardo did this past season. There’s a lot of pressure on Greg because he’s the first 7-footer (I rounded up, so sue me) since EJ Feihl to get drafted in the PBA. Given his current state, I believe he’s already miles ahead of whatever Feihl’s peak was back in the 90s. Greg can run, he is an imposing presence on both ends, and, well, he’s a smart player. That’s a great combo for any 7-footer to have. Will he ever be MVP material? Jury is still out on that, but we should be very entertained by his many match-ups with Fajardo next season. Ginebra wins because the fans want the Kings to pick Greg, and it’s practically a done deal.

Verora: If the trade rumors are true, then Bgy Ginebra will definitely win big. Aside from upgrading their frontline with the eventual addition of Greg Slaughter, they will possibly end up with the 4th overall pick which they can use to draft either Terrence Romeo, Jeric Teng or RR Garcia, who will in turn replace the aging Jayjay Helterbrand. Either way, Ginebra will have key acquisitions that will make them a stronger team.

San Mig Coffee owns two 1st round picks as well. They’ll probably use the 2nd overall pick to get Ian Sangalang, then get a swing man as their 10th pick. James Forrester and Alex Nuyles are great options, but if they choose to go big, Eric Camson and Justin Chua may also be available just before the end of the 1st round.

Is there anybody in this draft list who can potentially be MVP in the future?

Quiteles: Right off the bat I see Sangalang and Romeo with the most potential to become MVPs. Both have won the award in the collegiate ranks. The sky is the limit for Sangalang especially if he does end up under the mentorship of Tim Cone while Romeo –  and this might be a stretch – has the potential to be Steph Curry-ish once he figures out how to balance going iso and jacking up threes with actually running an offense.

Flojo: I see Slaughter, Ian Sangalang (who will go to San Mig Coffee), and maybe Terrence Romeo (Barako for sure) as potential MVPs. There are a lot of questions, however. Will Greg improve his post game and footwork even further? Will Sangalang ever have enough daylight to show his wares (playing alongside Marc Pingris and Joe Devance in the long run won’t help his numbers)? Will Terrence Romeo’s “Imma get mine” style of play translate into the pros well? Right now, I see Greg developing about as much as June Mar did last season. I also see Sangalang eventually (maybe in 2-3 years) becoming a Dennis Espino-type of big man. Lastly, I see Romeo becoming what Paul Lee is now for Rain or Shine, but with the potential to be what maybe Jayson Castro is to Talk N Text or what Willie Miller was when he became MVP (twice – 2002 for Red Bull and 2007 for Alaska).

Verora: RR Garcia is the last UAAP MVP to win on criteria that involve not just mere stats. There’s no question about his ability to shoot and pass but it’s his leadership and ferocity which made him an MVP. He’s such a fearless competitor; he knows when to facilitate and when to take charge. His experience with Gilas Pilipinas will make the transition smooth. – Rappler.com

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