The top pick will always have the buzz and the high expectations. The first five picks are seen as potential superstars, and the rest of the first round are expected to become vital cogs.
With that said, not all top picks have the best situations. In the NBA, some players would rather go undrafted than fall in the late first round. At least as rookie free agents, they get a chance on which team they want to play for, and it’s easy for general managers without any picks to get the player of their choosing.
Austin Reaves is allegedly an example of this.
In the PBA, I have heard of a similar instance. For example, I still can’t believe that Fran Yu fell to the fourth round of the 2023 PBA Draft and averaged 6.4 points, 3.1 assists, and 17.5 minutes in all 24 of Northport’s games.
How awesome was it that Yu was picked behind Letran backup Tommy Olivario, and by his old Letran coach, Bonnie Tan, whom he had three consecutive titles with, one of which got him named Finals MVP?
I mean... what a coincidence at number 40!
Anyway...
NUMBER 5 | TNT | ROUND 3 PICK 31
TNT will most definitely try to move up the draft board. They can also ask for picks from Rain or Shine or Converge, as both teams are willing MVP customers. At the moment, TNT is going to use their first draft pick in the 2024 PBA Draft for the best option available. Last season, they made a pricey offer for Henry Galinato (an S49 first-rounder to Rain or Shine) while taking Kim Aurin from free agency. With that said, TNT also passed on their third-round pick in the S48 draft, a head-scratcher considering that Aurin was still available at that point, and this was TNT’s worst assembled roster during their post-almost grand slam seasons.
NUMBER 4 | SAN MIGUEL | ROUND 1 PICK 12
Normally, anytime a rookie lands on San Miguel, it’s an automatic career death. This is also the Beermen’s first-round pick since that time when they bullied Kia to give up Christian Standhardinger. The thing about San Miguel is that they are too overpowered and the league wants an even playing field. While there is still a chance that they will get a top free agent, there is also a chance that they can get a valuable rookie in the first round. Last season, they signed Troy Mallillin and Kyt Jimenez. They also played a total of 14 local players per game date. There is a chance that the Beermen can snag a top-tier PG in this spot, like an Evan Nelle or a Kurt Reyson or even an international guy like Avan Nava.
NUMBER 3 | BLACKWATER | ROUND 3 PICK 26
NUMBER 2 | PHOENIX | ROUND 3 PICK 28
The third round has produced a lot of sleepers and this season is no different. Last season, 20 rookies got to play despite falling to the third round and upwards, with Jimenez and Andre Flores representing the ninth round. I have said my case with TNT’s first pick, and it’s not a good sign if a player falls to either Magnolia or San Miguel in the third round when they already have a first-round pick, Blackwater and Phoenix teams need roster strength. Obviously, Blackwater has zero drive to win a championship (especially with what they did to Rey Nambatac) but Phoenix is still looking for a replacement for Matthew Wright, Encho Serrano, and even Justin Chua, for that matter. When Tyler Tio got injured at the start of the Philippine Cup, the Fuel Masters faded. I rated the Phoenix pick higher because the player coming in may be a Ken Tuffin at best or a Raffy Verano/Matthew Daves-type at worst, and both versions had moments during the previous season.
NUMBER 1 | MERALCO | ROUND 1 PICK 11
I think Meralco is riding on a high at the moment and even if they fall out of favor in the coming conference, you can expect the Bolts to find ways to integrate their blue-chip addition in the future. After all, the Bolts are a team that uses their picks wisely. Chris Newsome, Cliff Hodge, Bong Quinto, Anjo Caram, Aaron Black, and most recently, Brandon Bates are examples of picks successfully integrated into their system. Whether they choose a temporary replacement for Aaron Black or another banger to help Hodge, Bates, and Raymond Almazan, you can expect that pick to help Meralco turn their shock championship run into a possible mini-dynasty.