Go to any barber shop, pub, or even just the comment section on Facebook, and you’ll see a lot basketball fanatics knowing EXACTLY how to win championships for their favorite basketball teams. They are armed with trade ideas and free agent targets. It’s just the gift, or curse, of fandom.
Coaches and executives, on the other hand, will most certainly admit that building a team is not that simple. It becomes even more complicated when you scout for young talents.
Fact of the matter is: there’s just no science to drafting: good players keep getting overlooked, and top picks keep becoming busts. Add injuries and mental health to the mix, and evaluating a prospect can go haywire.
So, in this exercise, let's make our lives simpler. We look into past drafts and see how the players should have been selected based on hindsight. With years under their belts, it seems we have a good measure of their careers.
This series started with the draft in the year 2018, and followed by the 2017 Rookie Draft.
And now, the 2016 PBA Redraft.
This year had a special draft for the Gilas Pilipinas pool, but that special round is really just the first round of selection. With that being cleared up, we go ahead:
1st pick: Alaska Aces – RR Pogoy [Original pick: Carl Bryan Cruz]
As TNT Tropang Giga coach Jojo Lastimosa has declared multiple times, RR Pogoy is one of their potent weapons, and that’s for a squad that has Mikey Williams and Calvin Oftana. This author’s favorite aspect of Pogoy’s game is that he is a legitimate two-way star, sometimes even tasked with stopping the import on the other squad. That’s a clear-cut first overall pick in this redraft.
2nd pick: Barangay Ginebra San Miguel – Matthew Wright [Original pick: Kevin Ferrer]
Granted, Matthew Wright is no longer in the PBA now and is strutting his wares in the Japan B.League. The few years that he can be with a team, however, can be monumental. With Wright as its lead guard, the Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters had two Philippine Cup conferences (2019 and 2020) where they ruled the eliminations and reached the semifinals. Get that and put him in a Barangay Ginebra San Miguel jersey, and fans will be ready to treat him like a god.
3rd pick: Blackwater Elite – Jio Jalalon [Original pick: Mac Belo]
Mac Belo is by no means a wrong selection for the third pick, but durability and availability sometimes weigh more—just look at how Ja Morant has overtaken Zion Williamson in the NBA airwaves. And a speedy guard who has the capacity to have a big game anytime in Jalalon may just attract more fans to watch Blackwater.
4th pick: GlobalPort Batang Pier – Mac Belo [Original pick: Von Pessumal]
Like what was said above, Belo is a talent. And it will be a crime to let him slide further. Fans are excited for his change of scenery—from the Meralco Bolts to the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters—because they know he’s still got what it takes.
5th pick: Mahindra Floodbuster – Kevin Ferrer [Original pick: Russel Escoto]
The 6-foot-5 Kevin Ferrer has already been traded twice in his PBA career, and some might see that as a red flag. On the other hand, it could also mean that teams still value the 30-year-old enough to give up assets for him. It also helps that Ferrer, a former PBA All-Star himself, has size and enough versatility to compete in the modern style of basketball.
6th pick: Meralco Bolts – Carl Bryan Cruz [Original pick: Ed Daquioag]
It’s easy to see how Carl Bryan Cruz became the first overall pick in the original draft. He’s 6-foot-4, strong but agile, and smart on the floor. He looked like someone who can be an all-around player, he made waves when he wore the Gilas Pilipinas jersey after all. While CBC did not become a star, he is a definite PBA first rounder.
7th pick: NLEX Road Warriors – Russel Escoto [Original pick: Alfonzo Gotladera]
Alfonzo Gotladera was the original pick here, and while this writer does not believe in drafting for need, the NLEX Road Warriors can still pick their coveted big man back in 2016 in Russel Escoto, who gives them real size at 6-foot-6, but shooting, too. A defined role can really pave the way for Escoto to make more impact.
8th pick: Phoenix Fuel Masters – Von Pessumal [Original pick: Matthew Wright]
No. 8 sounds too low for the sweet-shooting Von Pessumal, who previously shared the record for most 3-pointers in a game with 8. Until Don Trollano happened. It wouldn’t be absurd if some others think he’s the 5th- or 6th-best player in this draft. Just think of it as a consolation for Phoenix which is no longer able to pick Wright in this redraft.
9th pick: Rain or Shine Elasto Painters – Ed Daquioag [Original pick: Mike Tolomia]
Ed Daquioag plays in a manner where it feels like he doesn’t get too rushed. It’s quite a sight to see. He’s controlled, he’s skilled. The former UST Growling Tiger is a savant on offense as he can shoot but he can also create shots for himself. He’s also a capable playmaker. Wait, should we put him higher?
10th pick: San Miguel Beermen – Mike Tolomia [Original pick: Arnold Van Opstal]
Another capable guard who’s got the genes to thrive in the PBA. Mike Tolomia is the definition of a combo guard who can light it up. And with his cat-quick feet, he’s the ideal sparkplug off the bench. He was once traded for Daquioag, and frankly, you can also swap their positions in this redraft and teams won’t bat an eye.
11th pick: Star Hotshots – Rashawn McCarthy [Original pick: Jio Jalalon]
Rashawn McCarthy gets the nod here for his staying power in the league. He has PBA-level skills in offense to carve a role in just about any team he gets plugged in.
12th pick: TNT KaTropa – Joseph Eriobu [Original pick: RR Pogoy]
What started to look like a deep draft isn’t that deep at all, but that doesn’t mean that Joseph Eriobu is not a first rounder as he’s got the tools. Heck, he’s still in the league maybe for that reason. The 6-foor-4 forward is ready to prove with the Magnolia Hotshots that he belongs in the PBA.
Stay tuned for the 2015 edition of the One Sports' redraft.