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Joe Devance 6-7 Forward Welcoat Dragons(#1 pick)
Applied for the draft last year but was spurned by the league after failing to submit several draft requirements. This year, it looked like he wouldn’t be able to make it anew but miraculously managed to make it in time for the draft… impressed a lot of coaches in attendance during the rookie camp with his inside-outside game… so impressed was the coaching staff of Welcoat that they made him the draft’s first overall pick and the second in a row, a Fil-am was drafted first overall (last year was Kelly Williams)… the knock on him is that he doesn’t always take the ball strong to the hole and often times, falls in love with his jumper… led Toyota Otis to a runner-up finish two years ago… played varsity ball for the University of Texas at El Paso.
Will: be a franchise player
Can’t: take it strong
Expect: all-around play
Don’t Expect: questions about his citizenship
Samigue Eman 6-9 Center San Miguel Beer (#2 pick)
Everyone thought he would be the Welcoat Dragons’ pick in the draft but the team changed directions when they had the opportunity to draft Fil-am Joe Devance… Devance is the better and more polished player than Eman right now but there is no disputing the fact that between the two big men, Eman has the higher ceiling… he is big, athletic for his size, can run on the break and block shots… sky is the limit for Eman’s potential… at 6-9, the former University of Mindanao standout will be an unstoppable force once he learns the nuances of the pro game, but the big question is: How long will it take him to reach his perceived potential? Are the Beermen patient enough to let him develop? And at age 26 years, is his window for development narrowly closing? Those questions will be answered 3-5 years from now.
Will: block shots, slam in transition
Can’t: do a crossover
Expect: intimidation inside
Don’t Expect: finished product
Ryan Reyes 6-1 Guard Sta. Lucia Realty (#3 pick)
Reyes wowed local observers with his sterling display of showmanship in his short stint with Henkel Sista in the PBL… despite playing limited minutes in the rookie camp, managed to give coaches a preview of what to expect from him in the coming season… despite being a rookie in the PBL, has shown tremendous poise and top level confidence… accorded with the Fantastic Freshman award and if only Henkel had a decent roster, he would have contended for the MVP… very explosive player with a quick first step and an accurate jumpshot that extends out to the three-point line… above average rebounder for his size and will willingly mix it up underneath against the big boys… great peripheral vision, sees the court well… absolutely fearless going to the hole, in fact, eats elbow shots and karate chops for breakfast… has great work ethic and attitude… led the PBL in steals last tourney… played varsity ball for Cerritos College… is renowned for having a collection of 100 pairs of basketball shoes (a male basketball player version of Imelda Marcos, how’s that?)… this early, Realtors are bracing for an exciting Ryan Reyes-Kelly Williams combo in the backcourt (watch the alley-op dunk dude!)
Will: direct team plays, shoot from the outside and penetrate
Can’t: grow another 2 inches
Expect: a future all-star
Don’t Expect: lazy effort on the defensive end
JC Intal 6-4 Forward Air21 Express (#4 pick)
Dubbed “The Rocket” with the way he explodes to the hole… Athleticism is off the charts… can jump out of the gym… cage fans still remember his one-on-one showdown with renowed slam dunk artist KG Canaleta in a PBL showcase several years ago… he executed a Vince Carter elbow dunk to win the dunk-off against KG… Came into his own last year for the Ateneo Blue Eagles after the graduation of stars Larry Fonacier, Paolo Bugia, and LA Tenorio… lost out the MVP plum to big man Ken Bono but make no mistake about it, Intal is the real thing… Jumper is improving and his length and tremendous leaping ability will give opposing teams’ terrible fits… The Express know talent when they see one and they did not waste any effort to draft him 4th overall despite already having KG Canaleta, Arwind Santos and Gary David in its lineup.
Will: jump out of the gym
Can’t: take it strong
Expect: athletic plays
Don’t Expect: post presence
Doug Kramer 6-4 Forward Air21 Express (#5 pick)
“The Big Doug”… Kramer is a workhorse underneath, often drawing comparisons to Rudy Hatfield with his incredible nose for the ball, timing for rebounds and blocks, and great fundamentals… The Express were very impressed with his boardwork and ability to defend the inside despite his undersized frame… he stands only 6-4 but plays bigger than his size… he’s a rebounding machine (led the PBL in rebounding last tourney) and has a great work ethic… he’s not flashy but plays solid… backup to Enrico Villanueva during his younger days in Ateneo and but immediately developed into a bonafide starter after Villanueva’s graduation… UAAP fans remember him for his buzzer-beating shot in game 1 of last season’s finals against the UST Growling Tigers.
Will: mix it up underneath, defend
Can’t: take it soft
Expect: all-out hustle
Don’t Expect: to lie low
Ken Bono 6-5 Forward-Center Alaska Aces (#6 pick)
Bono literally dominated the UAAP and the PBL during his last stint as an amateur and is equally determined to make the same kind of impact in the pro league… He was the 2006 UAAP MVP and was a member of the PBL Mythical Team last season… Bono is seen by experts as the best shooting big man to come out of the amateur ranks since Alvin Patrimonio in 1988… Bono’s three-point shooting prowess will put to shame most of the guards in the PBA… Doesn’t figure to have difficulty adjusting to Alaska’s system since assistant coach Luigi Trillo was his former coach at Adamson… Bono’s conditioning will be put to a test in the pros… Several people claim that he will have difficulty adjusting to the pro style because he is slow and plays lackluster defense… while a part of that may appear to be true, I think Bono will do great in the PBA because he is intelligent and knows how to maximize his strengths to use it to his full advantage… Bono’s drafting literally showed the door to veteran Nic Belasco who was traded to Welcoat for Junjun Cabatu.
Will: use his bulk inside, shoot with deadly accuracy
Can’t: grow leaner
Expect: triple teams up to the 3-point area
Don’t Expect: athletic plays
Joseph Ronald Quiñahan 6-6 Center Alaska Aces (#7 pick)
In the same way Bono dominated the UAAP, Quiñahan did the same to CESAFI… As a member of the powerhouse University of the Visayas quintet, Quiñahan led the school to 5 straight crowns and terrorized the Cebu commercial leagues with his inside forays and shotblocking skills, earning the monicker “Baby Shaq” in the process… Quiñahan is shorter than his listed size of 6-6 but his wide frame, strength, and wingspan more than makes up for this deficit… The drafting of Bono and Quiñahan has evoked memories of a former dreaded frontcourt tandem in Ricky Relosa and Yoyoy Villamin… they were called the “Bruise Brothers”… Quiñahan and Bono figure to be cut from the same cloth but everyone must be aware that they’re still rookies and rookies take a lot of time to develop… Quiñahan is hardly the athletic type… he works his butt down low, using his bulk to overpower people inside… He hardly jumps but has great sense of timing for the blocks and uses footwork and great length to create havoc down low.
Will: block shots, post up
Can’t: jump
Expect: post presence
Don’t Expect: dunking ability
Yousif Aljamal 6-4 Forward Talk N Text Phonepals (#8 pick)
This was already a pre-arranged deal with the Phonepals moments before the draft… The Express would have utilized this pick if only JR Quinahan fell to them at number 8 but Alaska was wise not to let that happen… it’s unclear how Aljamal fits into the Phonepals’ system… the Phonepals are already stacked in the frontcourt but could find some room in the roster if Talk N Text retires forward Vic Pablo… No one closely resembles Pablo’s game among the draftees other than Aljamal… like Pablo, Aljamal played power forward in college but had to switch to small forward in the pros… Aljamal is a pretty decent rebounder for his size but it is his outside shooting touch that makes him a very valuable asset… Among all big men in the draft, no one comes to close to approaching Aljamal’s perimeter shooting accuracy except Ken Bono (and we know how deadly Ken Bono is).
Will: shoot from the three-point area
Can’t: take it strong
Expect: hustle plays
Don’t Expect: low post presence
Jonas Villanueva 6-1 Guard San Miguel Beer (# 9 pick)
Villanueva was already highly-touted even before seeing action for FEU in the UAAP… he did not waste time and immediately made his presence felt for the Tamaraws and then most recently in the PBL… he is pure point guard with great size and outside shooting touch… he has great peripheral vision, and is able to see what is bound to happen right before it unfolds on the court… not fancy, plays solidly within the confines of the team’s system… his perimeter shooting is deadly, leave him open and he will bury the open jumper… must cut down on his turnovers (led the PBL in TOs last tourney) because sometimes he forces things… if he gains more maturity and learns from his mistakes, he will be a great player… he is lucky because he will have under his stead one of the greatest guards of all-time, Olsen Racela… San Miguel is molding both Villanueva and LA Tenorio as the team’s cornerstones for the future.
Will: make his teammates better, shoot from deep
Can’t: cut down on his turnovers
Expect: good decision-making, shot-selection and playmaking ability
Don’t Expect: incredible hops
Macky Escalona 5-11 Guard Brgy. Ginebra Kings (# 10 pick)
Many were surprised that Escalona was picked up by the Gin Kings at the end of the first round… the Gin Kings were looking for a frontline player amidst the uncertainty on the playing status of Rudy Hatfield but no one seems better enough at number 10… drafting Escalona makes sense since the team needs a backup to Jayjay Helterbrand now that resident back-up Johnny Abarrientos may be close to retiring… Escalona turned an outstanding season with Ateneo in the UAAP and Cebuana Lhuillier in the PBL into a spot in the first round… long mired under the shadows of LA Tenorio, Escalona broke free from the backup tag and gave fans a reason to believe he was a better prospect than Tenorio… Escalona is a pure point guard with great leadership ability… he has a decent touch from the outside and can also pound the ball inside… he may be the heir apparent to Helterbrand at Ginebra.... always remembered for his inbound pass to Doug Kramer who hit the winning basket in game 1 of their title series against eventual 2006 UAAP champs UST Tigers.
Will: orchestrate team plays
Can’t: hit the outside shot with regularity
Expect: assists
Don’t Expect: high-scoring ability
Ronjay Buenafe 6-3 Guard-Forward Coca-Cola Tigers (# 11 pick)
Not many were surprised that Buenafe was taken first in the second round… He clearly has first round potential but fell down to the second round when teams began thinking big and others exercised a need… Though the Tigers already have Joseph Yeo, RJ Rizada, John Arigo, Will Antonio, Chester Tolomia in their roster, they didn’t hesitate drafting the sweetshooting ex-Emilio Aguinaldo standout… Buenafe reminds the Coca-Cola coaching staff of a former draftee who they traded mindlessly to Air21 and went on to become a big star – Gary David… Buenafe in more ways than one, parallels David’s game in that he is not only a workhorse on offense but on defense as well… Buenafe rocked the PBL last conference with his scoring skills, and at one point led the league in scoring with more than 20 ppg… he seems unfazed with the extra attention given to him by opponents on the offensive end, and gets away by utilizing his quick release and pump fakes to throw off defenders… Like David, Buenafe does not rely too often on his perimeter shot, he is equally effective driving to the hole… shot selection stands an improvement but that will come in time if he matures as a player… the Tigers hoped they don’t commit the same mistake with Ronjay Buenafe the way they did with Gary David.
Will: hit the three, drive to the basket, play defense on the other end
Can’t: select a better angle to launch his outside bombs
Expect: Gary David-like game
Don’t Expect: to wander around
Ryan Araña 6-1 Guard Welcoat Dragons (# 12 pick)
Araña was an object of desire by several PBA teams, among them Purefoods, Alaska, Air21 and even Red Bull but Welcoat was quicker to the draw utilizing their second round pick on the ex-De la Salle standout… Araña is a double-barreled threat, he is often tasked to defend against the opposing team’s big guns but can also be a factor on the offensive end… he once scored 38 points in a PBL game… he may be the second coming of former Purefoods and Shell guard Glenn Capacio… Capacio was a many-time All-Defensive Team member during his heydays and Araña could follow suit… he has a great understanding of the game – he can shoot from the outside, and manufacture his own shot when penetrating inside the lane… he is one of few players in the draft that has potential to contribute right away on a team and could even be a starter for the Dragons next season.
Will: defend and score inside or out, hustle
Can’t: play listless defense
Expect: leech-like guarding
Don’t Expect: to give up on a play
Melvin Mamaclay 6-5 Forward Sta. Lucia Realty (# 13 pick)
An unheralded player who had seen action in the minor commercial leagues, Mamaclay was a surprise draft pick by the Realtors… Prior to the draft, the Realtors had an eye towards several big men such as Joel Solis, Francis Barcellano, RJ Masbang and Kenneth Cuyukang but in the end chose Mamaclay because of his combination of length and outside shooting touch.
Will: bury the jumper from the outside
Can’t: overpower his foes inside
Expect: lots of time riding the bench
Don’t Expect: starter minutes
Marvin Cruz 5-8 Guard Air21 Express (# 14 pick)
The Express have always been searching for a point guard who can lead their fast-paced, high-octane game and with the selection of Marvin Cruz in the recently-concluded draft, it looks like the Express have found their man… the cat-quick Marvin Cruz is everything what the Express look for in a point guard – he’s fast, energetic, loves to play in transition, direct team plays, rebounds better than anyone his size, has great leadership ability and plays in the clutch… former UP standout played for the Harbour-RP team which competed in the 2007 SEABA tournament and was a revelation there, earning MVP honors in the process… Cruz can fill the boxscores with more than just points and assists, he’s also an excellent rebounder despite his diminutive frame, generates steals, blocks shots, shoots 3s and do just about everything… he’ll the be the backup for now to veteran Wynne Arboleda at the point guard but it will be a matter of time when he assumes the lead role.
Will: score in clutch
Can’t: stay away from contact
Expect: energetic plays,
Don’t Expect: slow-down pace
Jojo Duncil 6-1 Guard Red Bull Barakos (# 15 pick)
Yeng Guiao and the Red Bull Barakos did it again! How many times have we been witnesses to Red Bull’s draft wizardry? The Barakos lost guard Larry Fonacier to San Miguel in a trade just recently but it appears they may be able to overcome his absence if draft pick Jojo Duncil turns out to be better than advertised… Duncil was a prominent figure on the UST Growling Tigers’ 2006 championship team… Duncil, who played for various teams in the PBL, had no plans of turning pro this year but issues regarding his eligibility began to resurface and forced him to advanced his career plans a year earlier… he is a natural scorer, I wouldn’t be surprised if averages close to 20 points per game in the pros because he certainly has the tools to do it… he can shoot, slash and act as a decoy to teammates… he could even be a better fit for Red Bull with his brand of game.
Will: score, drive hard to the basket, pop a jumper from way out
Can’t: be a first round pick
Expect: a role on the bench
Don’t Expect: to be traded anytime soon
Ardy Larong 6-1 Guard Alaska Aces (# 16 pick)
Drafting Cebuano hotshots was already a practice for Alaska… You remember Felix Duhig, Roel Gomez, Elmer Cabahug, Allen Sasan and Stephen Padilla? They’re former draft picks of the Aces and were known as torrid shooters… Larong is a scorer, who can shoot from way deep but not typical of Cebuanos – he actually makes a sincere effort to defend! A player in the draft who plays similar to him is Ryan Araña who was drafted 4 notches above him… Araña was a player the Aces had an eye on but when he was taken by Welcoat at number 12, Alaska knew they had to take this guy… shone in the rookie camp where he was one of the few bright spots of his team… he’s one of the older guys in the draft and is lucky to earn a roster spot with the Aces already teeming with the likes of Willie Miller, Jeffrey Cariaso, Mike Cortez and Dale Singson in the backcourt.
Will: shoot, defend
Can’t: grow younger
Expect: gutsy plays
Don’t Expect: substantial minutes on the floor
RJ Masbang 6-3 Forward Air21 Express (# 17 pick)
Former UE Warrior was a longshot to be drafted, but the Express saw something in him that was worth considering for a roster spot… Masbang is a classic small forward who can bang the boards, run, play on the post and drift to the perimeter… played in the minor commercial leagues after his UAAP stint.
Will: score off penetration
Can’t: be another KG Canaleta
Expect: role player
Don’t Expect: a roster spot
Notable Undrafted Players:
Reed Friar Juntilla 6-1 Guard-Forward
Juntilla is one of the surprise snobs in the draft… a lot of teams could have certainly used his tremendous perimeter shooting skills and natural scoring ability… went undrafted because this was a very deep draft and teams were reaching for size… the off-guard spot, the coaches figure, is one of the easiest to fill and has been a less priority… Juntilla is no ordinary player… his scoring ability reminds you of ex-Davao standout and now Purefoods rising star Peter June Simon… Juntilla is a deadshot from mid-range… he’s almost automatic from within 15 feet and will make you pay if you leave him a room to operate… he ranked second in the scoring in the PBL last conference… Juntilla right now is practicing with Purefoods and it looks like he will get a slot on the team, especially the looming retirement (or transfer) of guard Noy Castillo.
Daryl Pepito 5-9 Guard
Pepito came to the draft with eye-popping credentials… the flashy Filipino-Australian guard saw action for the Australian league and made a good impression there… not a single team gambled on picking him up in the draft because this was a point-guard heavy draft and teams had no clue how his game translates to the pros without the benefit of seeing him in the PBL… he made an impression among coaches in the rookie camp and was in fact a hero in one of his team’s games there… He’s trying out for Purefoods at the moment but it appears there’s a slim chance he would be taken in because the Giants have already four point guards on the roster with the recent addition of guard Chico Lañete.
Khiel Misa 5-10 Guard
Two years ago, Misa was one of the most highly-touted point guards in the NCAA… he led the league in scoring despite having the big responsibility to set up UPHR’s offense… did not make any dent in his PBL stint and also failed to make any impression during the rookie to convince coaches that he deserved to be drafted... could be a PBA player some day if improves on his weaknesses and believes in himself that he has the tools to succeed.
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