IT was the biggest what ifs of the PBA Season 49 draft.
NLEX had its turn at the No. 6 overall pick and was getting ready to pick Dave Ildefonso in the first round.
But unknown to the NLEX coaching staff, Northport was eyeing the same player. And because it was drafting at No. 5, Dave, son of two-time MVP Danny Ildefonso, went to the Batang Pier.
NLEX then picked who it thought was the next big prize and picked big man Jonnel Policarpio at No. 6.
One year later, an NLEX source bared what his team's original plan was and how it all went to naught.
“Si Dave talaga ang target ng NLEX nun,” a source who was privy about the draft movement told Spin.ph.
“But like any other team, may plan A, plan B, may plan C rin sila (Road Warriors). Kaya nung naunahan sila ng Northport kay Dave, si Poli naman ang plan B nila.”
Not a bad choice at all, said the source.
But things didn't pan out as planned.
READ: SOURCES SAY Why NLEX let go of a special talent like Policarpio
Ildefonso and Northport failed to come to an agreement regarding the terms of employment and the National University and Ateneo star abandoned his PBA dreams and decided to play for a rival league.
The 25-year-old Ildefonso joined the Abra North Weavers in the MPBL where he helped the team win a championship.
Meanwhile, Policarpio signed a three-year deal with NLEX and was expected to grow with the franchise and hopefully become one of the pillars in its PBA campaigns.
Unfortunately, things didn't turn well with his initial PBA foray. The big man out of De La Salle showed flashes of brilliance, but his inconsistency during games and later his off-court activities, made management change its perception of the No. 6 pick.
Looking back, a source then asked, hypothetically: What if NLEX had landed Ildefonso instead of Policarpio?
“Kung NLEX ang nakakuha kay Dave, automatic three-year contract yun tulad nung offer nila kay Poli,” the source said. “Ang siste pa, sana nakalaro na si Dave sa PBA dati pa.”
Two years later, a curious thing happened. Ildefonso and Policarpio had both been traded and the two will now be playing for the same team.
When the PBA Commissioner's Cup opens, Ildefonso and Policarpio will be playing for Converge.
What a jackpot this team just won. Two top 10 draftees in its lineup without having to go through draft or part with some big names in its roster.- Gerry Ramos
Players in the dark on proposed Alas draft
The proposed Alas Pilipinas draft has been floated to PVL team owners and managers by the Philippine National Volleyball Federation.
But one crucial sector appears to have been left out of the conversation: the players.
A PVL player who has also suited up for the national team, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed that neither league nor national team players have yet to be formally consulted about the proposal.
“Unfortunately, they haven’t reached out to their volleyball teams about any plans so baka ‘di rin sila nakakakuha ng insights from athletes who can provide discourse or suggestions din about their ideas,” the player told SPIN.ph.
From the athletes’ standpoint, there is growing unease about the plan, particularly its long-term implications.
“This won’t only affect the future of the draftees, but it will affect Philippine volleyball as a whole,” the player said.
“They fail to see that the main stakeholders of any national team around the world, regardless of the sport, is its athletes.”
As of now, the draft remains in proposal stage. Informal approval has reportedly been secured from six of the league’s 10 PVL teams.
Sources say the Rebisco-backed squads Creamline and Choco Mucho are open to the idea, while MVP Group teams PLDT and Cignal have yet to give their approval.
With key voices still unheard, the proposed draft continues to stir debate since being publicized. - John Mark Garcia
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