THE PBA draft pool is set to get bigger once the Abra Solid North Weavers' young slotman Geo Chiu decides to throw his hat in the ring.
The tallest among the prospects at 6-11, the former Gilas Pilipinas center told SPIN.ph that he is now in the process of evaluating his decision to join the draft, which is set to be held on September 7.
“I am thinking about joining the draft. I’ll probably decide today,” said Chiu in a chat with SPIN.ph a day before the PBA’s draft deadline.
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A direct hire of Abra during the last MPBL window, Chiu bared that he has an existing one-year contract with Solid North and Abra ending in June 2026. But he has already talked with the management regarding the possibility.
Solid North team owner and Abra Rep. JB Bernos said that though every player is crucial to the Weavers' quest for a maiden MPBL championship, he won’t stand in the way if opportunities come along.
“Hindi naman namin pipigilan mga players namin if may chance sila to play in other leagues, abroad o Pilipinas. Sino ba naman kami. We formed the team because we wanted to represent our region and province and all these players were part of our program. So bakit naming sila pipigilan?” said Bernos.
“Maikli lang ang careers ng mga players so I keep telling them, 'If you have opportunities that you think is better than what Abra offers, go for it.' If by chance gusto nyo bumalik, we will always welcome you with open arms,” said the Abra team owner.
Asked if he thinks he is already PBA-ready, Chiu said he has been keeping himself in top shape and has toughened up especially during his stint with Abra where he has learned to bang bodies and hold his ground against other bigs.
“I would say I am ready naman. Kaso, I think I got to work on myself more, but it’s a long process. That’s not something you get by the end of the day,” said Chiu, who also played for the Ehime Orange Vikings in Division 2 of the Japan B.League.
He also played for the Taiwan Mustangs in The Asian Tournament after a stint with the Gilas team of coach Tab Baldwin.
Meanwhile, Bernos believes that Chiu can be a good asset for any PBA team if and when he gets drafted, but he believes his young ward can become better prepared for the jump to the PBA should he decide to stay a little longer at Abra.
“Geo is a work in progress. And that is what we have been working on at Abra. Gusto namin siya patigasin pa at gawing mas matapang. Kasi when he joined us, raw pa yung bata. And now, happy ako kasi nakikita ko ang malaking improvements. Nakikipagpalitan na yan ng mukha,” he said.
“Sabi ko nga if he continues to develop, sky is the limit sa kanya sa PBA and other leagues. Geo is like a sponge, ambilis nya ma-absorb ang tinuturo sa kanya especially yung kanyang role,” said Bernos who bared that Chiu is being mentored in the team by former PBA enforcers Mark Yee and Leo Najorda together with his coaches Yong Garcia and team manager Chris Conwi.
Chiu said he is very happy to continuously grow and develop.
“With Abra, I’ve learned to have that offensive mindset given that I am one of the tallest in the league, I was able to capitalize on my height and advantages,” he said.
“With the experience that I’ve gained all throughout my career from Ateneo then going to Japan, ang dami ko namang na-gain na experience dun. Kahit paano I was able to see where I am at as a professional,” he added.
Yee believes it will be to Chiu's best interest if he stays one more year at Abra so he can gain more experience and playing minutes and hopefully evolve into a more lethal big man so he can get bigger paycheck and role in the PBA.
“Siguro kaunting palaki pa ng katawan and bigs na laro. Need nya rin kasi develop pa ang kanyang legs. Kasi after he joined us, ang laki na ng improvement nya. Kagandahan sa kanya eh willing matuto at nakikinig Talaga,” said Yee.
'Lumalaban na sa banggaan'
“Dumating siya dito, may talent na rin pero yung physicality yun ang pinagtutulungan naming sa kanya kasi mabait eh. Dalas pa madapa sa game, ngayon lumalaban na siya sa banggaan. Dati takot siya.
"Sabi namin, kailangan mo makipagbanggaan wag ka matakot kasi big man ka, andun ang pisikalan. Nakikinig naman,” he said.
As for his advice, Yee said, “Hindi madali makapasok dun, siguro sa kanya, sa height nya, madali makakapasok, kaso ang tanong dun: ‘tatagal ka ba?’ Kasi ang bigs sa PBA magagaling at malalakas. Hindi ka pwede malambot dun, kailangan matigas ka run.
"Ngayon, tumitigas na siya. He needs to work out. Dasal, sipag at tyaga lang,” he said.
“Masipag yang bata. Maaga dumadating dito sa practice yan, gusto nya talaga matuto. Extra shooting siya, post moves, drills, sa gym nag-e-extra work out din yan.”
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