The PBA Draft has always been a hotbed for unearthing future stars.
That said, not every first-round pick gets to shine under the big lights.
While some become household names, others fade into obscurity due to unfortunate circumstances, team dynamics, or untapped/wasted potential.
This list takes a closer look at 10 first-rounders who never or barely got their chance in the PBA—players whose stories range from puzzling career detours to outright "what ifs."
I NEED TO MENTION THIS
DAVE ILDEFONSO
COLLEGE: ATENEO BLUE EAGLESÂ
DRAFT PICK: 2024 PBA DRAFT (S49) | RD 1 – PICK 5 |  NORTHPORT BATANG PIER
Dave Ildefonso remains the most promising name on this list and the only player in this list to have a legitimate chance to change this fact. Son of two-time MVP Danny and brother of current Rain or Shine standout Shaun Ildefonso, his delayed PBA debut stems from contract disputes rather than ability. Yes, he's a rookie, but he's also a veteran of the Korean Basketball League. Ildefonso's situation offers hope that he could still carve out a stellar career.
THE TOP TEN
Anyway, right off the bat, I don't know how to rank this list. Will I go for the forgotten players who should have stayed in the PABL/PBL at the time of their application, or should I go for the players whose draft teams messed up their careers? Should I rank the guys who played in the higher or lower?
Hell, should I include BJ Manalo on this list, even if he was a second-rounder?
Ultimately, I rated the players based on who deserves the opportunity. These are the players who spammed time and effort just to play in the PBA.
I also ordered the list from the games they played to the situation of the squad that drafted them.
Finally, I limited the list to players who appeared in a maximum of five PBA games. After all, how can someone showcase their skills if they're only given brief cameo appearances, without even getting meaningful minutes in garbage time?
The game starts now.
10 | JOSELITO RODRIGUEZ II
COLLEGE: UNO-R RAMS
DRAFT PICK: 1996 PBA DRAFT | RD 1 – PICK 6 | SUNKIST ORANGE JUICERS
PBA CAREER: NONE
Selected eighth overall in the 1996 PBA Draft, I can say that he's a virtual unknown. I get why the Sunkist Orange Juicers never gave him a chance. After all, they almost became the fourth team in league history to win a grand slam in 1995. That said, Sunkist went from 49-23 to 16-22 due to injuries, and they could have used this time to create a star in Rodriguez. The University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos standout was picked ahead of defensive demon Patrick Fran, Richard Del Rosario, and Rommel Santos, as well as MBA veterans Lenny Reyes, Roel Bravo, Ruel Culala, Junjun Locsin, and Richard Superal.
9 | RANDY LOPEZ
COLLEGE: BENILDE BLAZERS
DRAFT PICK: 2000 PBA DRAFT | RD 1 – PICK 10 | STA. LUCIA REALTORS
PBA CAREER: NONE
Unlike Rodriguez, I have seen Randy Lopez play. Lopez had all the tools to be a solid role player in the PBA. Unfortunately, I think he missed out on Benilde's lone NCAA championship season. That fact would have been great for his draft stock because the 2000 PBA Draft is the worst draft class for collegiate stars. Aside from the Red Bull direct hires, the league was welcoming direct hire Fil-Ams and MBA players. Lopez was the second player that the Sta. Lucia Realtors got in the draft after taking Paolo Mendoza as the first pick overall. The team also re-acquired Long David from Pampanga and signed rookie free agents Rob Wainwright and Chris Tan. Despite his NCAA credentials, his professional career was over before it began.
8 | PATRICK MADARANG
COLLEGE: UP FIGHTING MAROONS
DRAFT PICK: 2000 PBA DRAFT | RD 1 – PICK 9 | ALASKA ACES
PBA CAREER: NONE
As mentioned, the 2000 PBA Draft was a nightmare for collegiate stars. Patrick Madarang was a steady presence for the UP Maroons in the UAAP, but Alaska never saw enough to draft him as the ninth overall pick. In a draft class with the aforementioned whammies, Madarang became an afterthought, his skills lost in the shuffle of team priorities. Alaska finished the 1999 PBA Season with a Commissioner's Cup title and an All-Filipino Cup runner-up finish. The Aces lucked out when Purefoods left third-overall pick Dino Aldeguer unsigned, joining eighth-overall pick Glen Peter Yap in the process. Madarang returned to the semi-pro leagues after.
7 | TEOFANO "JUN" TIU
COLLEGE: FEU TAMARAWS
DRAFT PICK: 1991 PBA DRAFT | RD 1 – PICK 8 | PRESTO TIVOLI
PBA CAREER: NONE
Jun Tiu holds the dubious distinction of being the first PBA first-round pick to never play in an official league game. Drafted as the final pick in the first round, Tiu allegedly faced an uphill battle after the league reduced their roster sizes to 11. With Presto prioritizing the acquisition of Bai Cristobal over the rookie, Tiu returned to the PABL. Three-point specialist Rhoel Gomez, alongside Juancho Estrada, Django Rivera, Joey Santamaria, and former Ginebra player Macky De Joya, aka the five players drafted after Tiu, were able to play in the PBA.
6 | RONNIE LUCERO
COLLEGE: NCBA WILDCATS
DRAFT PICK: 1991 PBA DRAFT | RD 1 – PICK 7 | SHELL RIMULA X
PBA CAREER: 2 GAMES | STATS UNKNOWN
Official records suggest he played two games, yet Ronnie Lucero's name is absent from the PBA player directory. While Pedro Alfaro is another name struck from the PBA Hardcourt Annual, at least his name lives on with his son Peter Alfaro. A standout for NCBA, Lucero was selected 7th overall by Shell but quickly faded into obscurity. I think I have seen him play in the PABL, but back then, it was hard to watch the PBA because there were rolling brownouts everywhere. Online research tells me that he once suited up for Magnolia in the PABL. Regardless, Lucero's potential was left untapped, because how can he strut his wares in just two games?
5 | TZADDY RANGEL
COLLEGE: NU BULLDOGS
DRAFT PICK: 2021 PBA DRAFT (S46) | SPECIAL GILAS ROUND – PICK 3 | NLEX ROAD WARRIORS
PBA CAREER: 1 GAME | 1.1 MINUTES | NO STATS
Tzaddy Rangel is more or less the 50 percent version of Ken Holmqvist. More on him later. When I saw his name on the Special Gilas Round list, I wondered if the PBA realized how bad the round had become. It's not that he's bad. On the contrary at 6'7, Rangel can be a project for a team that could nurture him. But after his stint with the NU Bulldogs, Rangel averaged 1.0ppg and 1.1rpg in 7 games for Alab Pilipinas. Scoring that low despite the Gilas tag reflected his unpreparedness for the PBA. Anyway, the only move Tzaddy accomplished in the PBA was a trade that sent him and Reden Celda to Phoenix for Ben Adamos. Tzaddy finished the first wave of his PBA career stat-less in around 66 seconds. Also, for a coach known to turn garbage into gold, Yeng Guiao was not able to do anything with Rangel. He has since moved to the other leagues and at 28 years old as of press time, hopefully, he gets another crack in the PBA.
4 | KEN HOLMQVIST
COLLEGE: FEU TAMARAWS
DRAFT PICK: 2021 PBA DRAFT | RD 1 – PICK 12 | BARANGAY GINEBRA SAN MIGUELÂ
PBA CAREER: 2 GAMES | 2.5 MINUTES | NO STATS
Ginebra had two rookies that season who never really panned out. Ken Holmqvist was the last pick of the first round, picked ahead of Rain or Shine's Anton Asistio, Nick Demusis, and Andrei Caracut, as well as Converge's resident firestarter Alec Stockton. Needless to say, Holmqvist barely got a chance to prove himself, playing only two games with no significant impact. Ginebra’s focus on contention left little opportunity for developing raw talents. One could say that he was Tim Cone's 2.0 version of Mike Burtscher, and that's not a good thing. The only reason why Brian Enriquez is not part of the list is because he's the first pick of that draft's second round. Anyway, the former FEU standout has since tried his luck with other teams but has yet to make his official return to the league.
3 | ERWIN VELEZ
COLLEGE: LETRAN KNIGHTS
DRAFT PICK: 2000 PBA DRAFT | RD 1 – PICK 4 | MOBILINE PHONE PALS
PBA CAREER: 2 GAMES | 6MPG | 2.0PPG - 0.5RPG - 50% FG
Let me vouch for this guy who was criminally mistreated by the height of the Fil-Am invasion because, unlike most players on this list, I have seen Erwin Velez play awesome ball in the NCAA and PBL. Velez was part of the 1998 Letran championship squad that ended San Sebastian's dominance alongside Christian Calaguio, Kerby Raymundo, Jason Misolas, Billy Moody, Allan Salangsang, Aldin Ayo, and Billy Moody. Velez also teamed up with Calaguio in the PBL for Chowking. But while Calaguio signed with the San Juan Knights in the MBA, Velez chose to apply for the 2000 PBA Draft. Mobiline selected him at number 4, but he was then left unsigned. The Phone Pals just acquired Victor Pablo in a three-way trade with Tanduay and Shell for Jeffrey Cariaso and Mark Telan. They also acquired rookie free agents Don Camaso and Gherome Ejercito from the MBA and welcomed the PBA return of both Bong Ravena and Gido Babilonia. A season later, Velez was signed by Red Bull but he was just present for two games in two years. The only move he was able to make was a fight that got him and then-Red Bull coach Yeng Guiao barred from the arena. Velez returned to the minor leagues but could have been an effective defensive stalwart had he joined the PBA at the right time.
2 | PARI LLAGAS
COLLEGE: UE RED WARRIORS
DRAFT PICK: 2010 PBA DRAFT | RD 1 – PICK 9 | B-MEG DERBY ACE LLAMADOS
PBA CAREER: NONE
Pari Llagas was a double-double machine in college, from the championship-hunting UE Red Warriors, who went 14-0 in the elimination round, only to lose to the DLSU Green Archers. But unlike his former teammates like Paul Lee, Elmer Espiritu, Mark Borboran, Val Acuna, Marcy Arellano, Rudy Lingganay, Hans Thiele, Kelvin Gregorio, and James Martinez, Llagas was not able to see action in the PBA. This is insane, considering that Llagas was a staple in the PBL, the PBA D-League, and even had a stint in the ASEAN Basketball League. According to Quinito Henson, Llagas' ABL stint happened when the B-MEG management agreed to leave Llagas unsigned so he could move to the Philippine Patriots for Jerwin Gaco. B-MEG/Purefoods has a history of snubbing celebrated collegiate stars, especially during the 2000s when they ruined the career of Boyet Bautista, left BJ Manalo unsigned, and let another DLSU star in Dino Aldeguer go to rookie free agency. Llagas has since become a fixture of city-based leagues.
W Gameplay PH had this awesome blog about the first guy on my list.
Anyway...
1 | MAURICE SHAW
COLLEGE: HUTCHINSON CC BLUE DRAGONS
DRAFT PICK: 2019 PBA DRAFT | RD 1 – PICK 2 | BLACKWATER ELITE
PBA CAREER | 3 GAMES | 7.5MPG | 0.7PPG - 0.7RPG - 20FG%
He's number one because of course, he is. I don't like the term "draft bust" because I would rather call them disappointments. That said, yes, Maurice Shaw is the biggest draft bust in the PBA in terms of quality and pedigree. Shaw is also the biggest what-if because the only way a team could snub a guy of his credentials is if Roosevelt Adams was still available by the time of their selection. Despite entering the PBA at 35, Maurice Shaw brought high expectations due to his Fil-Am heritage, his 6'9 height, and his stint with the Harlem Globetrotters. However, his stint fizzled out in just three games, no thanks to a combination of being not physically fit for the league's grind. Instead of wasting Blackwater's pick, he could have tried the semi-pro leagues first. Blackwater signed three rookies that season and for a team that gives away their future stars in an instant, Rey Suerte and Richard Escoto are still on their team up to this day. After three uneventful games, Shaw was traded to NLEX where he was eventually bought out of his contract and then went to Barangay Ginebra, where he never saw a fraction of action.
For every breakout star, there’s a story of untapped potential and unrealized dreams.
Whether it’s about timing, opportunity, or the unpredictable nature of basketball careers, these players remind us that the journey to greatness isn’t always a straight path.
Got your list of "what if" players? Share your thoughts.
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