I knew something like this would happen.
It's either Blackwater or Terrafirma.
So yeah, what a way to spoil my weekend, Ginebra!
Anyway, here's an upgraded version of my mock draft.
In this version, Blackwater needs to select whatever is left between Justine Baltazar and Sedrick Barefield MORE THAN EVER. Now I don't know what Blackwater will do with the said pick, but I don't want to see either Baltazar or Barefield landing in Ginebra.
Heck, I don't even care if Kai Ballungay impressed the hell out of everyone in the draft combine! Ginebra can't have two of either Holt, Barefield, or Balti!
THAT'S JUST UNFAIR!
Now, this puts Ballungay as Ginebra's must-have.
However, I really believe the reason why Ginebra traded Christian Standhardinger, Stanley Pringle, and their first-round pick is for Tim Cone to have players who can play for Gilas Pilipinas. C-Stan, who retired from international competition a couple of seasons ago, is only expendable if Holt is part of the package, which is expected. That said, the idea here is whether or not the Ginebra pick would be eligible for Gilas action.
One of the biggest gripes of Tim Cone's Olympic Qualifier Tournament squad aside from the 11-man crew is a natural PG.
This is why I have RJ Abarrientos at the third spot.
This would also give Phoenix a top-tier player in Ballungay. Whether it's Ballungay or Abarrientos, the Fuel Masters have addressed fifty percent of their roster situation. If Ginebra gets RJ, they need to get the former Ateneo ace, because the draft is loaded with big men, but the best ones are likely to be taken in the first round.
Northport would then settle on Dave Ildefonso. Northport still needs to address the JM Calma injury situation, as well as getting value from what Robert Bolick brought to them. I am sorry, but Kris Rosales is NOT picking up what Bolick left off in terms of scoring and just being the team's superstar. Northport can get a player like Evan Nelle, but again, the draft is loaded with guards. This is why Ildefonso is an ideal choice, especially given that he's also under 25 years old.
And speaking of drafting a young dude, NLEX is another team in need of depth, especially since Bolick is the only player in their team to score in double figures. With Jong Uichico as the coach, I see him picking the best talent available, and judging from the combine, MVP Jonnel Policarpio has moved to the middle part of the first round. The 2001-born player from DLSU may show flashes of brilliance here and there, but NLEX needs to use their pick to get a player that has a longer expiry date.
Rain or Shine is still a team that could use additional weapons, but these weapons are more or less going to be projects. They have at least nine players born after 1995, and Luis Villegas, the last draft's third pick, has yet to play a single minute for the squad. ROS also has five picks in the first two rounds, which makes my heart bleed for the players they will pick in numbers 16 and 20.
Magnolia is most definitely picking the best player left, and this is going to be one of either Caelan Tiongson, Evan Nelle, Ben Phillips, Avan Nava, or CJ Cansino. I can see the Hotshots picking Tiongson because their combo forward slot isn't as big of a scoring threat as that of their guard lineup. Terrafirma is also going to get the best player available. I have them getting a player like Avan Nava, who is a mystery for most fans in the Philippines but has gained acclaim for his sweet fadeaways and dribble drives in the KBL.
I see Meralco getting a big man to fortify their roster, and the same can be said with San Miguel, who will most definitely lose Vic Manuel to free agency.
For the NCAA guys, I like Kurt Reyson, Pao Javillonar, Paolo Hernandez, Ralph Robin, and Jielo Razon. I don't see any of them going in the first round though. That said, I hope the NCAA continues its tradition of being a second-tier school league with the best chance to create PBA superstars, as seen with Cade Flores, Adrian Nocum, Fran Yu, Enoch Valdez, JL Delos Santos, James Kwekuteye, King Caralipio, Mark Louie Sangalang, Kemark Carino, and others.
Good luck to all applicants, and hopefully half of the picks get significant PBA action.