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    Johnny Abarrientos stands tallest in redraft of 1993 PBA class. See the rest

    Johnny A surely would top the 1993 class in a redraft. How would everything play out after?
    Apr 28, 2020
    ILLUSTRATION: Echo Antonio

    JOHNNY Abarrientos has always been considered as a generational talent.

    Despite just standing at 5-foot-7, "The Flying A" never let his small stature dim his spotlight as he made a lot of believers throughout his career, with some even regarding him as the best point guard to ever play in the PBA.

    Heck, Abarrientos almost got to the NBA by way of the Charlotte Hornets had plans materialized in 1997.

    But he's not the lone star to come out of his class.

    The 1993 PBA Draft easily earned its place among the top classes in the league, from surefire bets in Abarrientos and Jun Limpot, to superb steals like Olsen Racela and Freddie Abuda.

    Don't believe us? Just take a look at where this class fares among the top drafts in PBA history.

    With that, SPIN.ph decided to turn back the clock and do a redraft, factoring in everything these players have accomplished in their careers and looking how these differences would have made in their careers.

    Take a look on how the first round would have played out.

    1. Johnny Abarrientos (Sta. Lucia)

    Where was he selected? 3rd overall, Alaska
    Who was picked on this spot? Jun Limpot

    What better way for Sta. Lucia than to usher its first season in the PBA than drafting a franchise player in Abarrientos.

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    The point guard extraordinaire from Far Eastern University is destined for greatness as he'll be tasked to set up the Realtors led by Vergel Meneses, who is on the verge of a breakout season.

    After making it to the semifinals of the All-Filipino Conference, would Sta. Lucia even bother trading Meneses and Zaldy Realubit to Swift for Ricric Marata and Jack Tanuan if Abarrientos was already manning the point?

    Also worth mentioning, Abarrientos landing with the Realtors would have quickly paired him up with Bong Hawkins, just like how they did for Alaska in real life. That, however, would only be shortlived if Sta. Lucia did agree to deal Hawkins to Alaska for Bong Alvarez.

    Had this scenario happened, we doubt if the Milkmen could achieve their Grand Slam feat three years later.

    2. Jun Limpot (Ginebra)

    Where was he selected? 1st overall, Sta. Lucia
    Who was picked on this spot? Vic Pablo

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    Here's where it gets interesting.

    Ginebra picked Pablo in this spot but failed to reach an agreement that led to his trade to Pepsi for Manny Victorino and Pongky Alolor. We highly doubt the Gins would allow the same thing to happen had Limpot fell on their lap.

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    Limpot immediately shores up the frontline for Ginebra and is a definite game-changer, as seen with him winning the Rookie of the Year honors -- all while having the luxury of being mentored by veteran Sonny Cabatu.

    Knowing how good of a player Limpot was in his La Salle days, it won't even be a surprise that he could translate those talents in the big league and help the Robert Jaworski-coached Gins compete in those early years.

    Had this happened, Limpot wouldn't have to wait for seven long years before finally playing for the crowd favorites.

    3. Olsen Racela (Alaska)

    Where was he selected? 11th (2nd round), Coney Island
    Who was picked on this spot? Johnny Abarrientos

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    Alaska may have lost Abarrientos in this redraft, but taking in Racela isn't that bad of a trade-off.

    It took time for "Rah-Rah" to get his bearings behind a loaded guard rotation in Coney Island, playing behind guys like Dindo Pumaren and Frankie Lim.

    With the Milkmen, he'll definitely get thrown into the fire as he'll share the backcourt with the team's top gun Jojo Lastimosa. It's just a question, though, how long Racela's wait would have been given Tim Cone's habit of giving rookies minimal minutes.

    But can you imagine Racela -- who's a long time staple of San Miguel -- wearing Alaska threads? Quite an unfathomable sight, really.

    4. Vic Pablo (Coney Island)

    Where was he selected? 2nd overall, Ginebra
    Who was picked on this spot? Dwight Lago

    Coney Island was already a force to be reckoned with at that time, and Pablo's addition will further reinforce its frontline.

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    The FEU product will have to bid his time playing behind the combo of Alvin Patrimonio and Jerry Codinera, but how great of a luxury would it be for coach Chot Reyes to have Pablo coming off the bench.

    Yes, this outcome would have denied Pablo a reunion with his Triple V coach Derrick Pumaren in Pepsi, but him being a part of the Stars' championship run in the 1993 All-Filipino Conference?

    We're sure "The Conqueror" would gladly take this one.

    5. Freddie Abuda (Coney Island)

    Where was he selected? 14th (2nd round), Coney Island
    Who was picked on this spot? Benny Cheng

    Abuda truly was the embodiment of a steal in this class.

    "The Scavenger" slid to the second round and was largely utilized as a reserve with the Stars.

    But if he got picked in the first round, like we did in this redraft, we're sure that Reyes would second guess trading him to San Miguel after just five conferences.

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    Given what we know now, how great would it be for the loaded Coney Island to have his rookies Pablo and Abuda as his second stringers when his frontliners Patrimonio and Codinera need to take their much deserved breather.

    6. Benny Cheng (Alaska)

    Where was he selected? 5th overall, Coney Island
    Who was picked on this spot? Johnedel Cardel

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    Cheng in an Alaska jersey? That's going to be a sight to behold.

    But in our redraft, the undersized forward would have been a member of the Milkmen, bringing his grit to the white-collar Alaska side.

    Cheng's toughness which made him one of the top products from Mapua is more than welcome to the Milkmen's frontline, one that features the likes of Nani Demegillo and Alex Araneta.

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    Also, this move would also pair him up with Dondon Ampalayo, who Alaska traded to Ginebra in exchange for Bobby Jose. Quite an intriguing pairing, to say the least.

    7. Boyet Fernandez (Swift)

    Where was he selected? 7th overall, Swift
    Who was picked on this spot? Boyet Fernandez

    This one's a two-fold.

    Although our redraft nailed Fernandez right at seventh, he was immediately shipped to Sta. Lucia in exchange for a future first rounder, which the Mighty Meaties used to draft Boybits Victoria a year later.

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    Staying in Swift would turn out well for the Colegio de San Agustin product as he'll have a chance to learn under the wings of Al Solis and Ricric Marata under the stewardship of coach Yeng Guiao.

    But if that trade pushed through, Fernandez would have been reunited with Abarrientos in Sta. Lucia, rekindling their partnership in the gold medal-winning 1991 SEA Games team, something Realtors coach Nat Canson would surely relish.

    8. Mike Mustre (Alaska)

    Where was he selected? 9th (2nd round), Sta. Lucia
    Who was picked on this spot? Dickie Bachmann

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    Mustre caps off the first round as he joins Racela and Cheng in the haul Alaska got from this draft.

    The athletic gifts of the Letran product comes in handy for the Milkmen, giving coach Tim Cone another dependable two-way guard to help the cause of main man Lastimosa.

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    Like Racela, the question revolves on the chances the American coach would give him, but as we know from Mustre's stint in San Miguel, all he needs is a chance to prove himself.

    Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph

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    ILLUSTRATION: Echo Antonio
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