WITH new blood coming in, the PBA Rookie Draft provides a chance for teams to shore up their rosters and hope for better days in the upcoming season.
It's an opportunity to add more weapons to their arsenal while making calculated gambles and hoping for high-reward turnouts.
But what positions really are the teams targetting in Sunday's draft exercise?
Spin.ph takes a quick assessment of the club's rosters and see which weaknesses the teams will have to address in the annual rookie selection proceedings.
TERRAFIRMA DYIP
Picks: Gilas no. 1, 1st overall, 8th
Needs: a lot
Going dead-last in the 2020 Philippine Cup and losing a two-time Scoring Champion this past offseason, the teamdefinitely needs all the help it can get.
It's an unenviable position Terrafirma finds itself in.
Not only is it looking to add more firepower to make up for losing CJ Perez, it is also hoping that its two first-round picks will be keepers, game-changing talents who can blend well with last year's top pick Roosevelt Adams, mainstay Rashawn McCarthy, and newcomer Matt Ganuelas-Rosser.
Aside from that, the Dyip should also find a way to add more defensive players after allowing a league-worst 105.3 points inside the bubble, and more ceiling after ranking dead-last in boards with just 37.2 rebounds per game.
NORTHPORT BATANG PIER
Picks: Gilas no. 2, 2nd overall, 11th, 24th
Needs: big man, wings
Like Terrafirma, it was a forgettable campaign for NorthPort inside the Clark bubble.
But one thing favoring the Batang Pier this coming season is the expected return of Robert Bolick, who is sure to right the ship when it comes to the playmaking duties and bump up their scoring.
That, however, won't be enough as NorthPort would need more scoring, preferably from its wing position, to better equip themselves in the coming season and avert another injury-riddled campaign.
Greg Slaughter's arrival could also definitely help increase NorthPort's 33.1 points in the paint average (third-worst) and 39.3 rebounds (fourth-worst), but adding more bodies down low wouldn't hurt, especially after losing Bradwyn Guinto in a trade to Rain or Shine and Kelly Nabong left unsigned.
NLEX ROAD WARRIORS
Picks: Gilas no. 3, 3rd overall, 20th
Needs: length, big man
NLEX scored in bunches in Clark with 105.2 points per contest, but that fast-paced style also bit them in the back as it allowed 99.2 points to its opponents (second-worst).
Coach Yeng Guiao would love to address those defensive woes by enlisting versatile players who can shoot the three while also playing solid defense in the perimeter, the same way Larry Fonacier did seasons back.
All signs point to the Road Warriors acquiring the best wing available in their early position, especially with the lack of quality small forwards available in the draft.
The harder task, meanwhile, will be adding more ceiling, all the more with the retirement of Asi Taulava, leaving the frontcourt to the likes of JR Quinahan, Raul Soyud, Michael Miranda, and Will McAloney.
TNT TROPANG GIGA
Picks: Gilas no. 4, 4th overall
Needs: added scoring, depth
With Ray Parks out, TNT will have to find a way to fill the absence left by the second-generation star, who posted 22.4 points on 46-percent shooting in Clark.
It's a hard task, but one the Tropang Giga's first round pick would surely be able to address.
The trickier job, however, is reinforcing its bench after getting only 29.1 points from its reserves (third-worst).
Coach Chot Reyes will have to scour the latter rounds for gems, or be more active in the free agent market.
RAIN OR SHINE ELASTO PAINTERS
Picks: 5th overall, 17th, 22nd, 23rd
Needs: playmaker, added scoring
Rain or Shine posted the league's best defense inside the bubble, allowing only 80.8 points, but its offense also suffered, scoring a league-worst 79.8 points.
The Elasto Painters securing a true point guard should address those woes, especially after only dishing out 15.8 assists per game, dead-last among the 12 teams.
It's also good opportunity also for coach Chris Gavina to add more weapons to the young Rain or Shine crew as he crafts a roster built to his system and take advantage of having veteran James Yap and the rise of young guns like Rey Nambatac and Javee Mocon.
With three second-round picks and a reputation on nabbing diamonds in the rough, expect the Elasto Painters to ace these selections.
ALASKA ACES
Picks: 6th overall, 16th, 21st
Needs: solid four, defense
Onus is on Alaska to make the most of its first-round pick, all the more as it's the pick it got from the Vic Manuel trade from Phoenix.
It's a challenging job to find an able replacement to 'The Muscleman,' who led the Aces with 15.6 points and 6.1 rebounds.
Lucky for them, there are still plenty of undersized and hardworking bigs that they can snag at their position.
What Alaska can improve on with its second round picks could be its defense as it ranks in the middle of the pack with its 94.4 points allowed, sixth-worst in the league.
PHOENIX SUPER LPG FUEL MASTERS
Picks: 7th overall, 18th, 19th
Needs: big man, depth
Phoenix turned from losing Calvin Abueva to addressing all its weaknesses in an instant, acquiring Vic Manuel and Chris Banchero via trades.
More importantly, the Fuel Masters were able to keep their first round selection, ensuring that it could add a solid big man to their frontline which is currently manned by Justin Chua and Jason Perkins.
Drafting a playmaker in the second round should be high priority for Phoenix, all the more as it wants to put behind its league-worst 17.4 turnovers and 27.2 fouls committed inside the Clark bubble.
Still, the Fuel Masters are entering an offseason of change, and adding low-risk, high-reward players in the second round should bode well in its quest to retool its bench.
MERALCO BOLTS
Pick: 9th overall
Needs: big man, scoring
Meralco scored a coup in acquiring Mac Belo from Blackwater, but that shouldn't mean that it will stop fortifying its frontline.
With Belo and Raymond Almazan dealing with injuries in the past season, the Bolts must take advantage of the bevy of bigs available and secure a slotman they can develop.
After that, it's a challenge for Meralco to find more source of offense as it ranked second-worst in scoring with just 88.4 points in Clark.
Chris Newsome (13.9 points), Allein Maliksi (11.7 points), and Reynel Hugnatan (11.7 points) are the only ones to crack double-digits for the Bolts last conference.
MAGNOLIA HOTSHOTS
Pick: 10th overall
Needs: big man, wing
Magnolia is already a winner after acquiring Calvin Abueva in a trade from Phoenix, but is still likely to try and add more ceiling through the draft.
It's a move to ensure the Hotshots' future, one who veterans Marc Pingris and Rafi Reavis can guide to join the hardworking bunch of Ian Sangalang, Jackson Corpuz, and Aris Dionisio, while also improving its 38.5 rebounding mark (third-worst) inside the bubble.
But Magnolia could also consider shoring up its wingers, with only Abueva and Rome dela Rosa taking care of the position.
Definitely, adding more height is the way to go.
BARANGAY GINEBRA SAN MIGUEL
Picks: 12th overall, 13th
Needs: youth
Ginebra is at an embarassment of wealth after adding Christian Standhardinger to its championship-winning core in the 2020 Philippine Cup.
But as much as the Gin Kings are filled to the brim, the obvious improvement they can still make is to add more youth.
It has gradually made that move in the past few years, drafting the likes of Scottie Thompson, Aljon Mariano, and Arvin Tolentino.
Still, Ginebra could benefit in future-proofing its rosters, all the more with veterans Jeff Chan, Mark Caguioa, and Jared Dillinger still capable of delivering while also acting as mentors for the new blood.
BLACKWATER BOSSINGS
Picks: 14th overall, 15th
Needs: a lot
Blackwater will have the toughest road in the PBA Draft as it hopes to snag solid picks with its early second round selections.
The Bossings will already miss out on prime talent, but there are still talented forwards they could get their hands on in their spot to make up for the loss of Belo.
It can also target solid two-way players who can address their scoring needs after just scoring 90.1 points (fifth-worst) on 29-percent clip from threes (second-worst) in the bubble.
Definitely, coach Nash Racela and his staff will have a tough day in the office on draft day.
SAN MIGUEL BEERMEN
Picks: None until 3rd round
Needs: youth, depth
Six-time PBA MVP June Mar Fajardo is expected to return, but that doesn't mean that improvements can't be done for San Miguel.
For one, it still has the oldest lineup in the league, and although the quintet of Fajardo, Arwind Santos, Marcio Lassiter, Chris Ross, and Alex Cabagnot are still at the prime of their powers, the Beermen must acknowledge that Father Time is unbeatable.
Still, SMB has made moves to address those, most notably acquiring CJ Perez in the offseason from Terrafirma.
But the depth, especially in its frontline, still needs to be addressed, especially after seeing veterans like Billy Mamaril and Bambam Gamalinda take turns in helping Mo Tautuaa in the paint in Clark.
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