Banchero says he’s ‘worthy’ of top pick but happy to play for anybody

Jane Bracher

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Banchero says he’s ‘worthy’ of top pick but happy to play for anybody
'I believe I’m worthy of a top pick, I believe my ability shows that but I wanna go to a team that wants me,' Chris Banchero says

MANILA, Philippines – There’s no harm in understanding your worth and knowing what you’re capable of. Chris Banchero knows that.

With the first overall pick looking like a lock on Filipino-American Stanley Pringle, the Filipino-Italian Banchero has a solid grasp of his abilities and where he is headed as he ventures into the 2014 PBA Rookie Draft happening on August 24. 

“I believe I’m worthy of a top pick, I believe my ability shows that but I wanna go to a team that wants me,” said the 25-year old, 6-foot-1 guard who bested the rookies in all tests on Day 1 of the draft combine held on Monday, August 18 at the Gatorade Hoops Center in Mandaluyong.

Banchero, who played for San Miguel Beermen in the ASEAN Basketball League and for Boracay Rum in the PBA D-League, admits he is a fan of Talk ’N Text and Barangay Ginebra “like everybody else in the Philippines.”

But being a fan of those teams and knowing he is worth a first overall pick in the draft in no way means he is demanding anything or expecting to have the best handed easily to him.

“At the end of the day it doesn’t matter where I go,” he said. “Regardless of 1,2,3,4,5 it doesn’t matter because I’m gonna go in there regardless of what team that is and I’m gonna do my best.”

Banchero’s best, it seems, is something he admits he still has to work on. And acclimating himself to the notorious physicality of the league is the first step to achieving that.

“It’s a very physical league. I gotta focus on my ball-handling because the defenders are very physical, and my outside shot,” he explained what he thinks he needs to improve on in order to fit well in the PBA.

Outside shooting is an aspect of Banchero’s game that certainly needs some improvement if his numbers from his last D-League conference are any indication. 

During the 2014 PBA D-League Foundation Cup, Banchero shot 29-of-69 from two-point distance and went zero-of-9 from beyond the arc in 7 games played. 

In a league where attacking the rim means bodying it up with some of the toughest players in the country, it pays to have the ability to shoot some jumpers.

“I wanna stay out of the lane, I wanna stay healthy,” Banchero said.

“The PBA is a long season, I believe it’s 10 months out of a year. I wanna keep my body healthy and stay out at the perimeter and knock down my jump shots.”

The 2014 PBA Rookie Draft is slated on August 24 at the Midtown Atrium in Robinson’s Place Manila with Globalport Batang Pier owning the top pick followed by the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters. – Rappler.com

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