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THE
Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) has moved its
Apprentice Draft from today to Thursday to give its
coaches time to study their available options.
The
draft intends to compensate teams whose campaign in the
league’s season-ending Fiesta Cup has been jeopardize
when coach Chot Reyes announced his selection for the
national team.
Twelve
spots are up for grabs with the league opening its doors
to amateurs who intend to experience the rare chance of
playing in the pros as replacement players.
Reyes’s
selection has affected seven teams notably Talk ’N Text
and Ginebra which has three representatives each in the
Philippine Team that will compete in the Southeast Asia
Basketball Association Championship and hopefully, the
Fiba-Olympic Qualifier.
The
Apprentice Draft will be held at the PBA office in Libis,
Quezon City, with TnT drafting first followed by Ginebra
and San Miguel.
Alaska
takes its turn at No. 4 with Air 21, Purefoods and Red
Bull following in that order.
Twenty-four players, mostly from the National Basketball
Conference and Mindanao Visayas Basketball League, made
themselves available for the draft, although teams are
allowed to negotiate with players from other leagues who
didn’t list up.
Most of
the teams prefer Philippine Basketball League (PBL)
players although the PBL board won’t allow its players
to take the apprenticeship stint.
Teams
which did not contribute to the Philippine Team are
excluded from the draft.
Named to
the RP Team were Asi Taulava, Jimmy Alapag and Renren
Ritualo of TnT; Jayjay Helterbrand, Mark Caguioa and
Rudy Hatfield of Ginebra; Danny Seigle and Dondon
Hotiveros of San Miguel; Kerby Raymundo of Purefoods;
Tony de la Cruz of Alaska: Mick Pennisi of Red Bull and
Ranidel de Ocampo of Air21. All 12 will no longer see
action in the Fiesta Cup.
“The
list is shallow,” said Talk ’N Text team manager Frankie
Lim, who is hoping to get Jason Castro and JC Intal.
Those
who have list up for the draft are Louie Benn Medalla,
John Eric Coronado, Jethrone Recustodio, Norberto
Farochilen and Donald Tadena of MP GenSan, Melvin
Mamaclay and Julito Umandan of Pagadian Explorers,
Dennis Concha, Jonjon Gonzaga and Nathaniel Cruz of
Valencia Golden Harvest; Roel Balgos of Toyota Iloilo
Warriors, Eduardo Allado and Weland Munoz of Tagaytay
Spring; Roberto Barnzon and Mike Gonzales of Quezon
Villa Anita; Yogi Veranga and Roland Lamocha of Montana
Pawnshop; and walk-ins Mong Magdadaro, Romel Cesar,
Kevin Daniel Dalafu, Luis Palaganas, Michael John
Calomot, Prince Lord Cayetano and Raphael Fabie
PBA
teams may also opt to take free agents to sub for the
Nationals. Ginebra, for one, has on its reserve list
Paolo Hubalde, Rodney Santos and Billy Moody. San
Miguel, meanwhile, can reactivate Brandon Cablay and
Omanzie Rodriguez.
PBA
commissioner Noli Eala said players selected in the
apprentice program will be getting a maximum P40,000
monthly educational assistance, medical insurance
coverage and other perks and bonuses.
“The
program will allow amateur players to experience and
learn the ropes in the pro league,” said Eala. “It’s
like an ‘on-the-job-training for them, while at the same
time, giving the fans a preview of the possible talent
that will join the PBA Rookie Draft in the future.”
The
Nationals are out from their mother ball clubs in the
duration of the Fiesta Cup to concentrate on their
preparation to hopefully achieve a return stint in the
Olympics in
Beijing
next year. |
