NLEX hopes to play its cards right when it picks sixth overall in the coming PBA Rookie Draft.
Team manager Virgil Villavicencio said the work begins for new coach Jong Uichico during the July 14 event at Glorietta as the Road Warriors try to get immediate help from the draft in a bid to establish a winning culture for Season 49.
Villavicencio said among the rookies that worked out for NLEX include La Salle’s Jonel Policarpio, CJ Cansino of University of the Philippines, Paolo Hernandez of Mapua, and Miguel Corteza of St. Benilde.
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But the former coach turned team official refused to mention if NLEX would be using its first-round pick on any of the four.
“They worked out with us last Tuesday. Coach Jong was not in practice since Gilas Pilipinas just arrived on Wednesday. But we’ll give him a scouting report on the workout and see where it goes from there,” said Villavicencio, who attended the Draft Combine at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig.
Policarpio admitted NLEX expressed interest in him after winning the MVP at the end of the two-day event at the Ynares Sports Arena.
The Road Warriors had an abundant harvest of rookies last year that saw the team pick the likes of Enoch Valdez, Jhan Nermal, Dominic Fajardo, and Richie Rodger.
Unfortunately, NLEX couldn’t go over the hump and continued to fall short in the playoffs.
Not even he acquisition of high-scoring Robert Bolick was enough to turn the fortunes of the franchise around as the Road Warriors failed to advance in the playoffs of the Commissioner's Cup last season.
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