WITH so many picks at his disposal, Rain or Shine head coach Yeng Guiao can hit the jackpot in one of them as he and his coaching staff are closely monitoring the talent available in the coming PBA 49th Season Draft to be held on Sunday at the Glorietta Activity Center in Makati.
The Elasto Painters will be picking twice in the first round at No. 7 and No. 8 and then will have three more in the second round, giving the team plenty of choices to beef up the squad which made it to the semifinals of the Philippine Cup this year - the first time the franchise got that far since the 2019 Commissioner’s Cup.
Guiao is confident there will still be quality players left in the second round considering the depth of the coming draft that will be headlined by Pampanga Giant Lanterns big man Justine Baltazar, who many concede will be the top pick.
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“Meron kaming 7 and 8. Tingin namin quality players pa ‘yung 7 and 8. The draft might be good for maybe two rounds,” said Guiao to SPIN.ph on Monday.
“Actually, we reserve slots for those first two rounds pero meron kaming 13th pick, baka may value pa rin ‘yung 13th pick namin which is number one in the second round,” said Guiao.
Guiao said the coaching staff will be closely observing the Draft Combine on Wednesday and Thursday at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City. The Combine, he said, will play a big role in their selection process.
“Wala pa naman kaming definite na ina-eye pero ‘yung draft combine will play a lot in our decision. We will have a coaches’ meeting with our team owners on Wednesday to strategize."
Guiao said this meeting will decide their priorities. Like most teams, Rain or Shine needs a reliable big, a bigger wingman or maybe a playmaker. Surely, the best talent still available when they pick 7 and 8 will be top priority.
But he believes the bigs will go first.
“We want to prepare na, just in case there are bigs, we have to prepare for the eventual retirement of our big guys especially si Beau (Belga). If there is somebody that can take his spot, a quality big at that point, that is our priority. Pero tingin talaga namin, mauuna na talaga ‘yung mga bigs, baka wala na,” said Guiao.
“Then, our next priority would be to get big at the wings. Baka ‘yung mga titingnan namin ‘yung mga Fil-Ams, we have to seriously take a look at them. And then, our third priority would be to have a bigger point guard. ‘Yun ‘yung general direction namin... A big point guard or a big guard, not necessarily a point, who can make us bigger at the point or at the wings,” said Guiao.
Is Dave Ildefonso on Rain or Shine's radar?
Although the team has not made public their choices, a reunion of sorts looms after Dave Ildefonso applied for the PBA draft, and might be tapped by the Elasto Painters to team up with elder brother Shaun at Rain or Shine. Ildefonso, at 6-foot-3, fits the bill in Rain or Shine's quest for a big guard.
Guiao said Ildefonso will be on their radar come draft time.
“May possibility ‘yun. We are not taking away that possibility but he will be considered kung nandoon siya. We have no guarantees. We will not guarantee anything but we will certainly consider,” said Guiao.
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