Rey Cuenco and Dondon Ampalayo both had the same idea to succeed at all costs but both careers were brought down by generic pro baller problems.
Cuenco headlined the 1986 PBA Draft but became a journeyman right from the get-go. After his rookie year, Alaska traded Cuenco alongside 1987 second overall pick, Al Solis, to Shell for Bogs Adornado, and up until his sudden retirement, he bounced from team to team despite his undeniable talents. The Magic Man on the other hand was exactly what Robert Jaworski needed to fill the scoring void left by Francis Arnaiz – although he’s bigger and understandably younger. The fact that he had the “Magic Man” moniker in a time when Magic Johnson ruled Showtime was an indication that Ampalayo could have been Ginebra’s next best thing. The USJ-R product helped Ginebra’s championship drive but injuries cut his career short and ultimately, this led to him going to Alaska.
For a second-round pick, Naning Valenciano did well as a part-time starter especially during his run with the Alaska Milkmen and the Pepsi Megas.
ROUND ONE
RANK | TEAM | PLAYER | CAREER AVERAGES |
1 | ALA | REY CUENCO | 10.8PPG | 5.4RPG 438 GAMES 1X MYTHICAL TEN MOST IMPROVED PLAYER 1,000 OFF REBS |
2 | MB | RICKY CUI | 4.8PPG 233 GAMES |
3 | GIN | DONDON AMPALAYO | 10.0PPG | 5.7RPG 375 GAMES 2X MYTHICAL TEN ROOKIE OF THE YEAR |
4 | GT | AARON TORRES | 3.3PPG 50 GAMES |
ROUND TWO
RANK | TEAM | PLAYER | CAREER AVERAGES |
5 | ALA | NANING VALENCIANO | 8.4PPG 461 GAMES |
6 | MB | ADONIS TIERRA | 1.7PPG 45 GAMES |
ROUND THREE
RANK | TEAM | PLAYER | CAREER AVERAGES |
7 | ALA | REYNALDO RAMOS | 1.7PPG 62 GAMES |