In Blackwater’s shortlist are the likes of Jason Brickman, Dalph Panopio, Juan Gomez de Liaño, LJay Gonzales, and Will Gozum. The PBA Season 50 Draft is set for Sunday, September 7.
Blackwater coach Jeff Cariaso isn’t exactly looking for a specific type of player when the PBA Season 50 Draft gets going on Sunday, Sept. 7.
After all, Blackwater picked up team cornerstones in Christian David and Sedrick Barefield in the last two drafts.
But with the Bossing set to pick third this year, Cariaso said the team is tapping the best available talent on the board.
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“Honestly at that third pick it’s always closer to whoever the best player available is, regardless of position. I say that because we’re happy with our last two drafts with Christian David and Sedrick Barefield who are now as we all know naman, we’re leaning on them as the cornerstones of the team that we can build around,” Cariaso told One Sports.
“Whoever we feel is the best talent available even if there’s a little bit of redundancy in position that I think we would acquire in that no. 3 pick.”
But when pressed to drop names, Cariaso said among the players in their shortlist are the likes of Jason Brickman, Dalph Panopio, Will Gozum, Juan Gomez De Liaño, and LJay Gonzales.
“Those are part of our shortlist, the names that you mentioned there. Yes you have to talk about Brickman, you take a look at JDGL, LJay Gonzales has been on our coaches’ list as a high prospect,” Cariaso said.
“And then when you look at the bigs Will is always there. I know he’s recovering from an injury so we have to assess him and see if we could see him a little bit more in regards to the combine.”
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The Bossing, Cariaso added, will think about plugging in their holes only in the second round.
“For the second round at no. 15 then we try to fill in the hole of what we probably need the most at that point,” he said.
Before the draft proper, the 128 hopefuls will convene in the two-day combine on Sept. 4 and 5 at the Ynares Sports Center in Pasig City.