Remember when 50 draft applicants are too much, and the 2023 PBA Draft (or Season 48, if you want to be picky about the name) said, "Hold my beer."
Crazy times.
Now, the applicants are only 70. Gone from the first list I gave were Kobe Paras, CJ Lane, Juan Gomez de Liano, Ljay Gonzales, and Will Gozum. Of the names missing here, I thought the exclusion of Gozum was the most unfortunate one since he injured his ACL and MCL in preparation for the PBA draft. Gonzales is also a shock for me, but at least he just returned to the FEU Tamaraws for one final push.
At least he showed school loyalty when he extended his college career, and not the usual current shtick of switching schools as if normal students could do so.
Anyway, here is my mock draft, and yeah...
I got busy.
Instead of abandoning this piece altogether, let me just put my Top 5 on the internet.
THE GAME STARTS NOW!
1 | CONVERGE FIBERXERS | JUSTINE BALTAZAR
Contrary to some reports, Justine Baltazar is a sure thing for the Delta Pineda squad. Balti is the reason why Converge tanked this season and he is the most obvious choice if you try to compare his top-pick chances with Sedrick Barefield. Converge's almost sister team in the MPBL, the Pampanga Giant Lanterns, are almost unbeatable with him around. This is what the FiberXers needed because of their horrendous 3-19 record, with the team playing 20 local players, eight of which are rookies. The former UAAP Mythical Teamer is also the only MPBL player to win MVP, Finals MVP, and All-Star MVP in the same season. The only drawback for Baltazar is that he struggles with unfamiliarity like what happened to him in the Japanese B-League, but I doubt he'll feel that with Converge.
2 | BLACKWATER BOSSING | SEDRICK BAREFIELD
I guess this is why Blackwater thought it was a good idea to trade Rey Nambatac for a Kib Montalbo value meal. Anyway, Blackwater already won the draft with whoever is left between Baltazar and Sedrick Barefield. Much like Stephen Holt, Blackwater is getting Philippine Cup "import" because of his extensive basketball resume. The former NBA G-Leaguer is also turning 28 this year, and this is considerably young for a Fil-Am journeyman. Again, if Blackwater takes another player in the draft, is the league ready for a Holt and Barefield tandem at Terrafirma? This is all the more reason why the explosive combo guard is going to the Blackwater Bossing.
3 | TERRAFIRMA DYIP | DAVE ILDEFONSO
There are talks that Dave Ildefonso is like your typical OFW who is homesick. That's one thing, but if he barely sees action for his KBL team, that's the other problem. I guess Ildefonso would one day want another crack in the East Asian market but I get why he applied for the draft. That said, Javi Gomez de Liano had a nice exit package from Terrafirma and this makes me wonder if this team is the right destination for players who still want to play overseas. Furthermore, Javi GDL left a huge void in Terrafirma's offense, and with Isaac Go, Kemark Carino, and Louie Sangalang, it doesn't really mean that the player they need is a combo forward. What Terrafirma needs is a guy who can at least get 10 points of efficient shooting. For me, it's a tossup between him and RJ Abarrientos, but I am choosing him over the former FEU Tam because has an already established backcourt in Juami Tiongson and Stephen Holt.
4 | PHOENIX FUEL MASTERS | RJ ABARRIENTOS
What better way to replace Matthew Wright than a player who came from the Japan B-League? I know Wright has been gone for some time now, but Phoenix has yet to find a player of his caliber. Last season, Jason Perkins and Ken Tuffin were the only players to average in double digits for the Fuel Masters. And I know, Wright is more of an SG/SF, and Abarrientos is more of a combo guard, but when they lost Tyler Tio, their third-leading scorer to injury, they went from Commish Cup semifinals to Philippine Cup early out. Phoenix may need to find a big player, but when the opportunity presents itself, they simply can't pass on the former KBL guys.
5 | NORTHPORT BATANG PIER | KAI BALLUNGAY
Arvin Tolentino, Zav Lucero, Cade Flores, Will Navarro, and the currently injured JM Calma have more or less similar movesets. Even if you trade one of these pieces, they will still get something from the PF/C positions. What Northport needs right now is a scoring punch. That said, even if this is the same team that housed the likes of Gary David, Sol Mercado, Terrence Romeo, Stanley Pringle, and Robert Bolick. They can't pass up on Kai Ballungay. In some ways, he is a combination of both archetypes. He is big enough to play combo forward but at the same time, he can hover around the three-point area to splash a couple of long-distance bombs.
Anyway, you can still check out my 2024 PBA Mock Draft list at this link.