WITH PBA Season 49 Draft pool becoming deep at the last minute, Converge is now left with a difficult choice on who to pick at No. 1.
Head coach Aldin Ayo admitted the coaching staff is still in a bind on who to pick first due to the number of talented players that came during the final days of the application period.
Ayo said some of the skills of the players in the pool aren’t usually seen in every draft.
“Mahirap kasi mapapaisip ka,” said Ayo. “May mga players na nasa pool na not every year, sasali, or not every batch, may mga ganung players. May mga players dito na puwede mong gawing foundation o haligi ng program.”
“May mga players dito na would be good for five to seven years, magiging competitive ‘yung program mo as long as you get them,” he added.
Justine Baltazar is seen as the consensus No. 1 pick in the coming draft although this year’s batch got some added starpower after Fil-Am Sedrick Barefield and former foreign-based players RJ Abarrientos and Dave Ildefenso applied.
But Ayo insisted that Converge has yet to select who their choice is at No. 1, but added they now have three to four players in their radar.
“Nagdedecide pa kami, pinag-uusapan pa namin ni Boss Jacob at Boss Archen kung sino. We are going to look for a player who is versatile enough doon sa kulang namin especially sa depensa,”he stated.
“Butas namin talaga, ceiling. Kulang kami sa malaki. And at the same time, firepower, kulang din kami sa offense. Kung sino man ‘yun, ‘yun ang desisyunan ng management at coaching staff.”
Ayo said the final days of the application period have definitely made the draft very interesting.
“One month before the deadline, kala natin boring ‘yung drafting eh,” Ayo admitted. “After a week, last week, everything became interesting because of ‘yung mga humabol na magagaling na players,” he said.
“Kala natin hindi malalim pero nung dumating na sila Barefield, Poli (Jonnel Policarpio), ‘yung mga unexpected, biglang naging malalim ‘yung pool.”
Aside from the first round pick, Converge has three second round picks who will have a potential of being solid players for the future based on how deep the draft is.
“May mga aabot doon and may mga players kasi na during their college years, minsan hindi mo nakikita. Pagsampa nila sa pro, all of a sudden, nag-iimprove. Kaya hindi natin masabi,” said Ayo.
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