EITHER by chance or by design, some of the best big men to come out of the PBA draft in the past decade or so have fallen on the lap of SMC teams.
Back in 2012, the Petron Blaze Boosters got to select a then very young June Mar Fajardo as the first overall pick, through a draft pick acquired from Barako Bull (the team that was formerly Air 21 Express/Shopinas).
The Beermen once again got a quality big man in Christian Standhardinger during the 2017 rookie draft, thanks to selection originally owned by Kia Picanto (now Terrafirma) which SMB secured through a trade.
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And with the Terrafirma pick in the next PBA draft once again in the hands of a team under the SMC umbrella in Barangay Ginebra, there's a chance the organization can land another big one.
But is Terrafirma already sure to pick No. 1 in the Season 51 draft?
We delved deeper into the projected draft positions based on the finishes of perennial cellar-dwellers Terrafirma and Blackwater as well as Titan Ultra in the Philippine Cup and Commissioner’s Cup and their current positions in the ongoing Governors’ Cup.
For a better understanding, note that the PBA implements a weighted formula that gives the Philippine Cup a 40 percent weight and the two import-laden conferences 30% each.
Please also note that while Terrafirma's first-round pick belongs to Ginebra owing to a previous trade, Blackwater's first-rounder is owned by NLEX.
Most of all, note that these are all unofficial calculations.
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With Terrafirma finishing deadlast in the Philippine Cup and 10th in the Commissioner’s Cup, the Dyip currently holdsa 10.50 cumulative score, counting its current position of ninth place in the season-ending Governors’ Cup, based on our unofficial tally.
Titan Ultra ended up 9th in its maiden Philippine Cup thanks to former player Calvin Abueva, faded to 11th in the succeeding Commissioner's Cup, and currently brings up the rear in the Governors’ Cup, theeby tying Terrafirma's cumulative score of 10.50.
Blackwater is currently in eighth spot in the Governors’ Cup after finishing 11th and 12th in the first two conferences for a 10.40 current cumulative score.
So, what happens next?
Key storylines in Govs Cup homestretch
Because the final draft order factors in the ultimate playoff finishes, everything hinges on how the remaining Governors' Cup games play out:
• The Brutal Three-Way Race for No. 1: Terrafirma, Titan Ultra, and Blackwater are separated by only 0.10 points.
• Mark October 17 on Your Calendars: Titan Ultra plays Terrafirma the Ynares Center. This game has massive draft draft implications. A loss for Titan Ultra will likely lock it into 12th spot for the Governors' Cup, all but guaranteeing the Giant Risers the No. 1 overall pick.
For a quick look, the remaining games of Terrafirma are against TNT (October 7), Macau Giant Pandas (October 10), San Miguel Beermen (October 14) and Titan Ultra (October 17).
The last assignments for Titan Ultra are against the Converge FiberXers (October 11), NLEX (October 14) and Terrafirma (October 17) while Blackwater's last elims opponents are Magnolia (October 9), Meralco (October 13), Rain or Shine and Ginebra on October 23.
That said, the October 17 head-to-head matchup between Titan Ultra and Terrafirma in Antipolo is bound to be the definitive game for the No. 1 overall pick.
For Blackwater to steal the top pick for NLEX, the Bossing need to lose all its remaining games and hope that Terrafirma beats both Titan Ultra and Macau.
Meanwhile, Rain or Shine is currently projected to pick dead last (No. 12). Despite not winning a championship, the Elastopainters' consistent finishes in all three (2nd, 3rd, and 3rd) conferences give them the best average ranking in the league this season.
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