Crowd-favorites Barangay Ginebra got their center of the future after drafting former Ateneo slotman Greg Slaughter with the first pick of the 2013 PBA Draft last Sunday at the Midtown Atrium of the Robinsons Place Manila.
Slaughter, the tallest rookie at nearly seven feet, had been the clear choice for the Gin Kings for some time now, as he famously visited the team's practice. Ginebra's star guard, Mark Caguioa, also made it known on Twitter that he preferred for the Kings to take Slaughter.
Slaughter was joined by nearly the entire Ginebra team at the stage, while the crowd at Robinsons Manila serenaded them with "Gi-ne-bra" chants.
"I definitely like the fans," said Slaughter, who won two championships with Ateneo before playing for NLEX in the PBA D-League. "I'm really excited to play."
Ginebra's frontline thus becomes more imposing, with Slaughter joining high-flying forward Japeth Aguilar.
With the second pick, the San Mig Coffee Mixers took former NCAA Most Valuable Player Ian Sangalang from San Sebastian College. Sangalang joins a frontline that features 2013 PBA Governors Cup Finals MVP Marc Pingris.
Sangalang is considered the most offensively polished big man in the draft.
With the third pick, the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters took Letran center Raymond Almazan, who joins the famed Rain or Shine frontline of JR Quinahan and Beau Belga, popularly known as "Extra Rice Inc."
At the start of the draft day, the Barako Bull Energy owned the fourth, fifth and sixth picks of the draft, but they engineered trades that sent those picks to different teams.
Barako traded the fourth pick of the draft to the Barangay Ginebra Kings in exchange for Rico Maierhofer and Willie Wilson. Ginebra then took James Forrester, from Arellano University, with the fourth pick.
The fifth pick was traded twice. Barako initially sent it to Petron in exchange for Magi Sison and Mark Isip. Petron then sent the pick to GlobalPort for Yousef Taha.
GlobalPort then picked UAAP Season 76 Most Valuable Player Terrence Romeo of the Far Eastern University (FEU) with the fifth pick in the draft.
Romeo was the top scorer in the UAAP last season, and led the Tamaraws to an appearance in the Final Four. He initially said he will return to FEU to play out his final year of eligibility but eventually decided to declare for the draft.
Barako Bull again traded the sixth pick of the draft, sending it to GlobalPort in exchange for Denok Miranda. GlobalPort then picked former UAAP MVP RR Garcia with the pick.
Garcia is thus reunited with college teammate Romeo, with whom he combined to form one of the most explosive backcourts in the UAAP.
The seventh and eight picks were somewhat surprising, as GlobalPort picked Isaac Holstein with the seventh pick, while the Alaska Aces selected former Ateneo Blue Eagles Ryan Buenafe with the eighth pick.
Rain or Shine then selected former Adamson swingman Alex Nuyles with the ninth pick of the draft.
To complete the first round of the PBA Draft, the San Mig Coffee Mixers selected former Ateneo big man Justin Chua.
Former Ateneo forward Nico Salva and University of Santo Tomas guard Jeric Teng, two players who were tabbed to go in the first round, did not have to wait for long as they were taken with the first two picks of the second round.
GlobalPort selected Salva, a two-time UAAP Finals MVP and a five-time UAAP champion, with the 11th overall pick. The selection sees him in the same team with Romeo, with whom he had a brief spat on Twitter during the recent men's basketball tournament.
Teng, who led the Growling Tigers to the UAAP Finals last season, was taken by Rain or Shine with the 12th pick.
The San Mig Coffee Mixers picked athletic guard Justin Melton with the 13th overall pick, while the Barako Bull Coffee Mixers took former UST guard Jeric Fortuna with the 14th pick.
The Alaska Aces then sent the 15th overall pick to the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters, who used it to select former Ateneo center JP Erram.
Air21 then selected former Adamson forward Eric Camson with the 16th pick, and TNT used the 17th pick to select Robby Celiz.
The Alaska Aces picked former FEU guard Chris Exciminiano with the 18th pick, Rain or Shine selected Gayford Rodriguez with the 19th pick, and Barako Bull wrapped up the second round of the draft by selecting Carlo Lastimosa with the 20th pick.
Here's a summary of the first two rounds of the 2013 PBA Draft.
FIRST ROUND
1. Ginebra - Greg Slaughter
2. San Mig Coffee - Ian Sangalang
3. Rain or Shine - Raymond Almazan
4. Ginebra (from Barako Bull) - James Forrester
5. GlobalPort (from Barako Bull via Petron) - Terrence Romeo
6. GlobalPort (from Barako Bull) - RR Garcia
7. GlobalPort - Isaac Holstein
8. Alaska Aces - Ryan Buenafe
9. Rain or Shine - Alex Nuyles
10. San Mig Coffee - Justin Chua
SECOND ROUND
1. GlobalPort - Nico Salva
2. Rain or Shine - Jeric Teng
3. San Mig Coffee - Justin Melton
4. Barako Bull - Jeric Fortuna
5. Alaska - JP Erram
6. Air21 Express - Eric Camson
7. Talk N Text - Robby Celiz
8. Alaska - Chris Exciminiano
9. Rain or Shine - Gayford Rodriguez
10. Barako Bull - Carlo Lastimosa
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
