2013 PBA Mock Draft

The PBA 38th season comes to an end last friday and everyone are now focused to the 85 applicants for the 2013 Annual Draft. Our group thought of giving you guys a mock draft for the first round. 

FIRST PICK - BARANGAY GINEBRA SAN MIGUEL

Philip's Choice - Greg Slaughter

• As much as I want Ian to be a Kabarangay, we can't just let this 7'0 ft behemoth passed. For Ginebra, all the scoring firepower is there, what they really need is a Center that will deflect shots, grabbed rebounds, do some Akagi dunks, and lastly be the JuneMar Fajardo stopper. Let's face it, in no time JF will dominate PBA, and every team wants someone that will somehow stop JF, and Ginebra is lucky to get someone that not only can stop JF, but is also is familiar with his game.

SECOND PICK - SAN MIG COFFEE MIXERS

Philip's Choice - Ian Sangalang

• Honestly, my personal choice for this team is Raymond Almazan. Why? since the Mixers strive for defense, we can see the next Marc Pingris in Raymond. But anyway Coach Tim already said it, they will get Ian or Greg depends on who is available. And we can't go wrong with that one, since everyone knows how talented this lefty big man from Pampanga is.

THIRD PICK - ROS ELASTO PAINTERS

Philip's Choice - Raymond Almazan

• It's not a secret that ROS needs a big man for this year's draft. And who is more fitting for this job? It's someone that is already practicing with them(during the NCAA break because of FIBA Asia), and to top it all, it's someone that is playing under a coach that is an Assistant in this team ;)  

FOURTH PICK - BARAKO BULL ENERGY COLA

Philip's Choice - RR Garcia

• I believe that the 4th and 5th pick will be for RR and Terrence's place. I chose RR because I felt that he between the two, he has the more PBA ready game. I see him as a future starting guard for the lower bracketed - less superstar team. 

FIFTH PICK - BARAKO BULL ENERGY COLA

Philip's Choice - Terrence Romeo

• Yes, many hates how Romeo plays. But we must admit that he is one of the most talented player in this year's draft. He can be a 6th man/sparkplug of any PBA team. YES, ANY PBA TEAM. If his game matures, he will be a hot commodity in the league. 

SIXTH PICK - BARAKO BULL ENERGY COLA

Philip's Choice - James Forrester

• Barako Bull has many wing players but they can't let this kind of talent go. Forrester is like a poor man shorter Chris Ellis but with a lot of toughness.  One thing that the coaches will like about this guy is that he can be that stopper of the scorer of the other team. And with that alone, can give their team a lot of upsides.

SEVENTH PICK - GLOBAL PORT BATANG PIER

Philip's Choice - Jeric Teng

• With Gary David now playing for Meralco. This is the right time for the Batang Pier to get a scorer-shooter that will contribute right away to their team. Yes, Jeric is not that impressive when it comes to penetrating  but his shooting touch beyond the arc can really be a plus for this team. Also the fanbase of Jeric Teng is big. It can help GB's market ;)

EIGHT PICK - ALASKA ACES

Philip's Choice - Nico Salva

• The Next JC Intal without the hops. That is how I can describe Nico's game. Alaska is already a complete team, but with TDLC's guidance, he can help Nico to be like him. That aggressive defending plus the money in the bank midrange shot will let Nico play in the PBA for a long time. 

NINTH PICK - ROS ELASTO PAINTERS

Philip's Choice - Eric Camson

• It's so intriguing to see how will Eric Camson plays in the big league. He played 4 in ADU. But with the height of only 6'2, can he survive in this league? I see him as the better version of Ronnie Matias so I will not be surprise if Coach Yeng Guiao will get this guy.

TENTH PICK - SAN MIG COFFEE MIXERS

Philip's Choice - Alex Nuyles

• I'd like to see Justin Chua at the 10th spot. But with the current roster of this team plus the near addition of Ian Sangalang, I feel that Coach Tim will draft other talent. And with that one, I think that it is a wise choice to get a scorer/wing guy that can defend. Alex has a lot to prove after his short UAAP season a year ago. And with that motivation, I guess that he can crack some minutes in this deep team.

" Philip Zuñiga is a Software Engineer at NetworkLabs Inc. He is a certified sports fan since 1996. " 

Falcons Annihilated the Eagles

The win of Adamson against Ateneo, denied the Eagles the ticket to the Automatic Finals appearance. Also, this win gave the Falcons the twice to beat advantage against FEU or UST.  This game was a testament on how Adamson knows how to play Ateneo's Game, this was the slowest scoring output of the Eagles.

The opening quarter showed  that the San Marcelino-based team was more motivated to get the win. Their defense gave headache to Norman Black's team, the 1st quarter ended with Adamson  leading 14-8.

The second quarter was a different story from both teams. After Adamson led 16-8,  Kiefer Ravena was assign to play the point, and with that adjustment, slowly but surely, Kiefer carried the Blue Eagles until the lead of Adamson decrease to a single point. The quarter ended with Adamson' still leading 27-24.

The third quarter became the playground of both Alex Nuyles and Lester Alvarez. The Kamikazee style of Alex was such a joy to watch, no one can stop him in this quarter. Lester was steady in this quarter, he proves to everyone, that he is definitely one of the best court general in this year's season. The way he handled the situations shows his maturity as a player. The third quarter ended with Adamson still leading 50-31. 

The fourth quarter was a better quarter for the Eagles. They showed a little life in the game, the lead comes down to 13 with over 3 minutes remaining with the score 56-43.  But Adamson proved to be the better team in this game. The final score was 62-46. Alex Nuyles was the best player after finishing 21 big points.

The opponent of both Adamson and Ateneo will be determine tomorrow.

*BARBER SPEAK NOTES: 

• Alex Nuyles was phenomenal. He deserves to be a part of the UAAP Mythical first team. 
• Greg Slaughter was not in his elements. If Ateneo wants to be this year's champion, Slaughter needs to be mentally ready. 
• Lester Alvarez shut down his critics. He proved that his with the same level with UAAP's reigning MVP RR Garcia.
• Finally, Adamson scored a win against Ateneo. The last time the Falcons won over Ateneo was the year 1997, with players like Eddie Laure and Gherome Ejercito.

" Philip Zuñiga is a graduate of Philippine Normal University. He is a certified sports fan since 1996. "