Kung hindi magbabago ng isip si coach Caloy Garcia, ang De La Salle forward na si Jason Perkins na ang magiging no. 1 pick overall sa 2015 PBA D-League Rookie Draft.
Ang koponang hawak ni Garcia na Racal/Keramix ang may hawak ng first pick sa draft, na nakatakda ng 2:00 ng hapon sa PBA Cafe sa Metro Walk sa Pasig City.
Ayon kay Garcia, kukunin nila ang 6-4 Fil-American forward bilang first pick.
“We need a big man,” ani Garcia na naniniwalang si Perkins ang tugon sa naturang pangangailangan.
Hawak naman ang second pick ng AMA Computer on-line education ni coach Mark Herrera na nakatuon naman ang pansin kay 6-6 Ateneo center Alfonso Gotladera.
“We are on the look-out for a big man who could take the place of (Dexter) Maiquez and provide J.R. Taganas some help inside. Right now, our first option is Gotladera,” paliwanag ni Herrera.
“But nothing is final yet. We’re also reviewing the credentials of some Fil-foreign players,”dagdag nito.
Sa hanay naman ng mga draft aspirants, si Avery Scherer, ang nanguna sa Asean Basketball League sa assist at steal noong nakaraang season, ang pinakamatunog sa 22 Fil-foreign players na naghahangad na makapasok sa PBA .
“My goal in life has always been to make the NBA and playing professionally in the Philippines is just one step closer,” anang 29-anyos na si Scherer. Ang 6-2 guard na galing ng Shoreline Community College ay nauna ng lumahok sa 2010 NBA draft ngunit hindi ito nakuha.
Ang third pick ay hawak naman ng Tanduay Light, kasunod ang Foundation Cup champion Café France at Wangs Basketball.
UP-QRS/Jam Liner, Mindanao Aguilas, National University at Phoenix Petroleum naman ang nagmamay-ari ng 6th hanggang 9th place na dedeterminahin sa pamamagitan ng lottery.
May record na 189 aspirants ang bilang ng nag apply sa draft.
“This is a huge pool. Certainly, this is an encouraging development for the league and basketball in general,” ani PBA Commissioner Chito Narvasa.
“Who knows, maybe this batch could lead to new discoveries for future Gilas pools,” dagdag pa nito.
Kabilang din sa first round prospects sina Ateneo player Von Rolfe Pessumal, Julian Sargent ng De La Salle at Fil-Canadian Taylor Witherell. (Marivic Awitan)
