San Mig Coffee, Barako Bull finalize details of Urbiztondo deal

Rey Joble, InterAKTV · Saturday, September 29, 2012 · 2:39 pm

source: http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/san-mig-coffee-barako-bull-finalize-details-of-urbiztondo-deal

AKTV/Paul Ryan Tan

San Mig Coffee and Barako Bull have finalized details of the deal that sent Josh Urbiztondo to the Energy Colas.
The Mixers sent their starting point guard to Barako Bull in exchange for a first round pick next season. The Energy Colas — the franchise that previously competed as the Air 21 Express — stockpiled four first round picks next year through various trades. The PBA asked San Mig Coffee to make a decision which pick to acquire from Barako Bull.
San Mig Coffee selected the pick that originally belongs to GlobalPort. Barako Bull owns the rights to the pick as part of the trade that sent JR Quinahan from the Express to the Coca-Cola Tigers in 2010.
Barako Bull also owns picks belonging to Meralco, Petron, and Ginebra. Its own pick next season belongs to Rain or Shine.
San Mig Coffee coach Tim Cone said it was hard to part ways with Urbiztondo after having developed a personal relationship with the player.
“He’s been our lead guard in the past conferences where we entered the finals, but we’ve also told the management about our loaded talent at the guard spot. Then came Barako Bull knocking at our door,” said Cone, who installed Urbiztondo as the starting point guard when he took over the coaching chores last season.
“It’s one way of looking at the future as well because we don’t have a first round pick next year, so I think it will be a good move. We have a chance on getting [Greg] Slaughter or any talented player in next year’s draft, which we believe has a deep cast.”
The Mixers also acquired Petron swingman Wesley Gonzales in the deal. In return, the Energy Colas sent two second-round draft picks to the Boosters in 2013 and 2014.

New batch reinforces Gilas' cadel pool By Richard Dy

Smart Gilas team manager Butch Antonio says 10 of the country's top college players have verbally agreed to be part of the cadet national training pool. Jerome Ascano

THE Smart Gilas 2.0 program is looking long-term in its bid to lead the Philippines back to prominence in Asian and world basketball.
That’s the reason why this early the national team is in the process of recruiting the next batch of collegiate talent who will be implanted within the program via the cadet pool, team manager Butch Antonio said.
“The cadet pool is something we are currently discussing with (Smart) management. Because our idea is, if every three years, mga at least dalawang players lang ang nari-release sa PBA (draft), then at least, may feeder system tayo that could somewhat replace those who will turn pro,” Antonio said in a talk withSpin.ph.
“But again, MVP (Manny V. Pangilinan) is supporting the national team for the long haul, otherwise, he could have just pulled the plug after the Gilas program since it didn’t win the Asian medal,” added the team official who’s been with Gilas since 2009.
Though the original batch of Smart Gilas team has since been disbanded after all of them decided to turn pro, Antonio said they are now working towards building a more sustainable national basketball training program.
Antonio, who used to serve as head of basketball operations during the initial phase of the Gilas program three years ago, added the basketball program set by former ambassador and basketball project director Danding Cojuangco offers some valuable insights on how they are now running the national program.
“The NCC (Northern Consolidated Cement) team was a good way to pattern it. Kung di nga lang sila nabuwag, they would probably have stayed for the long haul, at di siguro agad sila nag-PBA,” observed Antonio.
Some of the members of the NCC program during the 80s include Allan Caidic, Samboy Lim, Hector Calma, Franz Pumaren, Yves Dignadice, Tonichu Yturri, Alfie Almario, Elmer Reyes, Pido Jarencio, and a young Jerry Codinera, who all blended well with naturalized players Dennis Still, Jeff Moore, and shooter Arthur “Chip” Engelland.
As part of its training, the NCC team competed in the PBA for two seasons, eventually winning the 1985 Reinforced Conference title.
That same national squad won the 1985 William Jones Cup in Taipei, and later ruled the Asian Basketball Confederation (now the FIBA Asia men’s championships) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in January 1986, all under the guidance of American coach Ron Jacobs.
Smart Gilas 2.0 assistant coach Jong Uichico, a member of the NCC team from 1982 to 1985, explained the success of the current basketball program hinges on the all-out support of everyone.
“Nuong time kasi namin, may cooperation ang mga school teams with the national team. Kaya kami nakakalaro sa labas kung may tournament,” recalled Uichico, who called the shots for the all-PBA national squad that placed fourth in the 2002 Busan Asian Games.
“Ngayon kasi, it’s really the system that make things difficult for players to represent the national team. Mas maganda sana, kahit na nasa PBA na ang mga players, kapag kailangan sila maglaro sa national team, i-prioritize nila, kasi para naman ito sa bansa,” he added.
Currently, Antonio said 10 of the country’s top college players have verbally agreed to be part of the cadet national training pool.
The pool will be bannered by the Ateneo “Mutt and Jeff” tandem of Greg Slaughter and Kiefer Ravena, Blue Eagle teammate Nico Salva, NCAA stars Jake Pascual of San Beda, San Sebastian’s Ronald Pascual and Ian Sangalang, and Far Eastern University’s top playmaker RR Garcia along with Garvo Lanete and Matt Ganuelas, who were part of the victorious Smart Gilas 2.0 team that ruled the Jones Cup last month in Taipei.

source: http://www.spin.ph/sports/basketball/news/new-batch-of-cadet-pool-reinforces-gilas-2.0-long-term-program

Petron gets coaches’ nod as team likely to dominate. See the poll result By Richard Dy

Source: http://www.spin.ph/sports/basketball/special-reports/pba-rankings#page-1

Petron Blaze has a lineup so deep it can be split into two sides and both will be better than most starting lineups in the league right now, coaches say. Jerome Ascano

ONE look at Petron Blaze’s lineup evokes awe among fans – and envy among rival coaches. A team that already looked good on paper simply got better, now with so much depth in every position it could very well be split into two lineups and both would still be better than most of the other teams in the league.
Experts feel it is now only a matter of putting the pieces together and turning the Boosters into one big wrecking machine – a task that now falls on rookie coach Olsen Racela. And oh, before we forget, Petron is also deep in the coaching position, with Rajko Toroman by Racela’s side as coaching consultant.
That alone makes the Boosters the consensus choice as the team most likely to make the biggest impact this season in a Spin.ph poll of all the coaches, with Talk ‘N Text, San Mig Coffee, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, Alaska Milk and Rain or Shine right behind in that order. (See how the teams rank in the list below)
Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao didn’t have to think twice when asked on which team is bound to dominate this season. “Petron ang pinakamalakas na team ngayon. In fact, mas lumakas pa sila ngayon tao sa tao,” said Guiao.
Guiao said top pick overall June Mar Fajardo is big enough and good enough to tip the scales in Petron’s favor. He only had to compare the 6-10 slotman to Bonel Balingit – another  mammoth slotman from Cebu whom Guiao had coached in the past – to gauge how big an impact Fajardo is bound to make in the pro league.
 “For sure, as he (June Mar) progresses in his career, he’ll get a lot more touches on the post. He’ll surely be a big headache for all the teams. Mag-go-grow pa iyan si June Mar,” said the veteran Rain or Shine coach.
“Mas mobile pa siya kesa kay Bonel (Balingit). Mabilis din siya bumaba sa depensa. Physically, he’s more well-coordinated than Bonel. He’ll get to the point that he’ll grow in IQ. So other teams better be ready.”
While Petron has been drawing much of the attention, Meralco coach Ryan Gregorio said Talk ‘N Text can’t be taken for granted, even if the PLDT-owned team made no changes in the offseason except in the coaching position where Norman Black now takes over from national coach Chot Reyes.
Talk N’ Text’s formidable lineup, however, didn’t need a lot of tweaking in the first place and, as Gregorio pointed out, has been toughened by several battles in the playoffs under Reyes.
 “Talk ‘N Text is still strong. It’s a team that is easily three seasons ahead because of its championship experience. They will be competitive this season,” said Gregorio.

San Mig Coffee coach Tim Cone said the core of Jimmy Alapag, Kelly Williams and Jason Castro make the Texters a tough nut to crack in the season-opening Philippine Cup, where they will be defending the title under Black.

San Mig Coffee basically stood still in the offseason but has a formidable core that should keep the team in the league’s upper echelons while sister team Ginebra is one of the biggest gainers in the last few months, bolstering its lineup with rookies Chris Ellis and Keith Jensen and prized acquisition LA Tenorio.

San Miguel Corp. sports director Noli Eala, however, warned that an unlikely team may end up making the biggest splash in the season-opening Philippine Cup.

“Alaska’s got to be the surprise team of this season. They’ll be a serious contender. I rank them in the Top 5,” said Eala. “They have filled some key spots that they were weak. They also picked up good rookies and also added solid veterans in Dondon (Hontiveros) and JVee (Casio).”

Meantime, Rain or Shine can no longer be discounted, as the whole league found out in last season’s Governors Cup.

Here’s how the teams rank in our poll of PBA coaches:

1) Petron

Rookie coach Olsen Racela may just have the most talented group of players in the league to work with. Photo by Jerome Ascano

A team that underachieved under Ato Agustin last season with a title-less 23-23 (win-loss) campaign should be eager to atone this season, and it has the weapons to do it.

Its frontline has suddenly become massive with rookie June Mar Fajardo joining Jay Washington, Dorian Pena, Arwind Santos, and Danny Ildefonso, its backcourt deeper than ever with first-round pick Alex Mallari joining Alex Cabagnot, Dennis Miranda, Chris Lutz, Joseph Yeo, and Marcio Lassiter.

Two factors will dictate how well the Boosters will go in the Philippine Cup: How fast rookie coach Olsen Racela can put it all together, and how quickly the 6-10 Fajardo can develop into the dominant big man almost everybody thinks he is bound to be.

“Kailangan niya maintindihan lang yung sistema. Siyempre, he needs to focus on defense. He needs to understand how important his defense will be and to get those rebounds and block shots. He’s got Danny I. and Dorian to guide him as well,” Racela said of his rookie big man.

On how Racela plans to run things in his rookie year, he said: “Since we started with coach Ron Jacobs, this is a team that is known to execute very well. So ganun din tatakbo ng team this coming season. When we gathered the players, we explained to them their roles in the team and our expectations. They just have to understand that this is not for themselves but for the team. Accepting their roles have become the challenge of this team for the past two years,” he added.

Incoming coach Norman Black will inherit an almost intact lineup which has reached the Finals five times in the last six conferences. Photo by Jerome Ascano

2) Talk ‘N Text

While Talk ‘N Text stayed idle in the offseason, its nucleus of former league MVPs Jimmy Alapag and Kelly Williams, Ali Peek, Jared Dillinger, Jason Castro, Harvey Carey, Larry Fonacier, Ranidel de Ocampo, and Ryan Reyes is better than most in the league.

The Texters will also have the distinct advantage both in chemistry and experience, their stars having fought many Finals together. The team, in fact, will be gunning for a third successive Philippine Cup championship under Norman Black.

“Talk ‘N Text has been so good for so many years. They still have the materials. Curious lang ako how they will adjust under coach Norman. Pero yung core guys nila grabe sa talent,” said Barangay Ginebra coach Siot Tanquingcen.

If there is one drawback for the team, it’s the lack of size in the frontline, which could be magnified when the team plays big teams like Petron and San Mig Coffee.

3) San Mig Coffee

As good as San Mig was last season where it won one championship and reached the Finals twice, Tim Cone says the team can only get better. And the frightening thing about it is, he is right.

Tim Cone has a chance to tie or even surpass Baby Dalupan's record of 15 titles this season. Photo by Jerome Ascano

Minor changes to the team saw the arrival of rookies rookies Aldrech Ramos, Jewel Ponferrada and 6’8” Gian Chiu and the depature of starting guard Josh Urbiztondo, leaving the playmaking chores in the hands of team skipper Jonas Villanueva and incoming sophomore Mark Barroca.“My team at this point has an intact chemistry. We just have to continue to develop it and grow it. I don’t think we have seen the best of these guys yet. We just need to keep getting better,” said Cone, who is one championship away from matching Baby Dalupan’s record 15 league titles.
“Aldrech is a big guy who can spread the defense for us. He’s like our Robert Horry, a guy who can shoot long shots and still be able to defend. It has helped him somehow to play for the Gilas team and be able to guard bigger players and learn from Marcus [Douthit] ,” Cone said of his rookie big man.
But as in past seasons, the Mixers will only go as far as James Yap, Marc Pingris, and PJ Simon can take them.
4) Barangay Ginebra
Barangay Ginebra easily made the biggest gains in the offseason, injecting both youth and athleticism to its lineup with the arrival of Fil-American rookies Chris

LA Tenorio is set to inherit the starting point guard spot from Jayjay Helterbrand. Photo by Jerome Ascano

Ellis and Keith Jensen and prized point guard LA Tenorio.
That should be enough to rejuvenate a squad that had a hard time keeping in step with the other teams last season and looked old and tired in the final stretch of the campaign.
The renaissance should begin with Tenorio, who is set to inherit the starting point guard spot from 35-year-old Jayjay Helterbrand.  “LA has a very big role for the team this season. He’ll do what Jayjay has been doing for us for the past years,” said Tanquingcen, who hopes to improve on the team’s sixth-place finish in last season’s Philippine Cup where the Kings posted a 9-7 win-loss record.
On the other hand, Ellis and Jensen give the Gin Kings a pair of athletically gifted 6-4 players who can run the break, crash the board, and make the occasional highlight play, similar to the dunk pulled off by Ellis against Air21’s Nonoy Baclao whose video has become a hit on the web.
Helterbrand is understandably excited.
“Our two two Fil-Ams will surely be a big help. Dylan (Ababou) and Allein (Maliksi) are big additions because they can hit the open threes. We now have a combination of veterans and young players. LA is also a great player who can find ways to blend with the team.  The game will be a lot faster this year for us,” he said.

5) Alaska

Calvin Abueva will finish out the NCAA season with San Sebastian before officially joining the Aces in the PBA. Photo by Jerome Ascano

The Aces were having a relatively quiet offseason until the LA Tenorio incident triggered a chain of events that led to a massive overhaul of the team.
In place of Tenorio came Jvee Casio and Dondon Hontiveros after the biggest deal of the offseason. Then came a few more bits and pieces like veterans Eddie Laure and Nic Belasco and rookie Rafi Reyes to bolster a team that had been too reliant on Cyrus Baguio and Sonny Thoss last season.
For some reason, the reshuffle has worked wonders so far, with the Aces showing the most impressive form in the preseason. And to think that the team still does not have immensely talented Calvin Abueva, the No. 2 pick overall who will join the team only after wrapping up his stint with San Sebastian in the NCAA.
All the positive developments augurs well for coach Luigi Trillo’s bid to revive the Uytengsu franchise after the worst showing in a season in franchise history.
6)  Rain or Shine

Chris Tiu will have to step up for the Painters who will be playing without injured guard Paul Lee. Photo by Jerome Ascano

The Paint Masters are coming off a maiden league championship in the Governors Cup, but things do not look good for the ballclub going to the Philippine Cup.
For one, the team is one of the smallest in the league with only Beau Belga and JR Quinahan as legitimate centers. Second, the Painters will have to play the first stretch of the season without Rookie of the Year awardee Paul Lee, who is still recovering after shoulder surgery in the offseason.
Yeng Guiao is understandably worried.
“We have a lot undersized bigs.  The only true big men we have are Beau Belga and JR Quinahan. So this will be our biggest disadvantage coming into this season. That is why we’re asking our guards to step up and help our big guys,” he said.
“First is we have to learn how to play against bigger teams, especially against Petron, Barangay Ginebra and Alaska. We’ll be playing this conference without (Jamelle) Cornley (Rain or Shine’s Governors Cup import) who averaged 15 rebounds for us the past conference. So our main mission is how to fill up the 15-rebound output we’ll be losing from Cornley.”
For Guiao to land the first all-Filipino title of his long career, undersized frontliners like Larry Rodriguez, Jervy Cruz, and Ronnie Matias will have to rise to the occasion and top draft pick Chris Tiu will have to hold the fort until Lee is healthy enough to return.
7) Barako Bull

Coach Junel Baculi hopes to keep pace with other teams after retooling Barako's roster this off-season. Photo by Jerome Ascano

The Energy Cola lost their best player, Willie Miller, in the offseason and appeared to slip further down the ladder in terms of talent. But to everyone’s surprise, its odd mix of players has produced impressive results in the offseason.
New boys Enrico Villanueva, Sean Anthony, Dave Marcelo, and Josh Urbiztondo have been a much-needed boost to a team that is hoping to squeeze out extra mileage from veterans like Danny Seigle, Mick Pennisi, and Ronald Tubid.
“Looking at our team, we’re now a combination of veterans and young players, which we hope can complement each other. Now we hope to be abkeep pace with other teams like Petron since they also got stronger,” said coach Junel Baculi.
Urbiztondo, who will now handle the playmaking chores in Miller’s absence, has no doubt that the team will defy expectations. “With what we have, we will be springing some surprises this season,” said Urbiztondo.
Even SMC sports director Noli Eala is impressed. “They are a tough defensive team because they got bruisers. They’ve also got big guys so you really need to have good shooters against this team,” he said.
8) Meralco Bolts

Rookie Cliff Hodge is expected to play a big role for the Bolts this season. Photo by Jerome Ascano

The Bolts are moving in a new direction as they begin life after Asi Taulava.
With no dominant big man inside the paint, the Bolts now plan to run opponents to the ground as they take advantage of the athleticism and scoring prowess of players like Sol Mercado, Macmac Cardona and rookie Cliff Hodge.
On the shoulders of Carlo Sharma and Kelly Nabong fall the responsibility of keeping the Bolts respectable inside the lane after the 6-9 Taulava opted to sign with San Miguel’s team in the ABL.
“We lost a big guy in Asi but it’s a good thing we now have Carlo (Sharma) to help us in the post. Kelly (Nabong) is also coming in to provide help inside,” said Hodge.
On how well the transition works remains to be seen, however.
9) Air21 Express
Returning Air21 board governor Lito Alvarez has lived up to his billing as one of the most aggressive traders in the offseason, overseeing a massive

Franz Pumaren hopes his new players can help improve Air21 this season. Photo by Jerome Ascano

overhaul that left Renren Ritualo and James Sena as the only holdovers from the lineup that started last season for the team.
The end result is a team that is bigger and better than last season’s squad. Big men Nonoy Baclao, Rob Reyes and 6-8 rookie Yousif Taha now man the frontline with Nelbert Omolon and Mark Isip while KG Canaleta, John Wilson, and Bonbon Custodio will add more offensive weapons for coach Franz Pumaren.
 “We’ll try to be a different team this season. One thing nice about our team is we now have a lot of big guys. I really want John Wilson and Noy (Baclao) to be more assertive on offense,” said Pumaren, whose team failed to win a single game in last season’s Philippine Cup.
Coaches believe Air21 has improved immensely from last season. But on whether it has become good enough to contend for a title is an altogether different matter.
10) Global Port

Glenn Capacio's Batang Pier will only go as far as Gary David and Willie Miller take them. Photo by Jerome Ascano

The league’s newest team will go as far as Willie Miller and Gary David will take them.
The Batang Pier own perhaps the most explosive backcourt in the league but coaches feel the team’s fate is dependent too much on the two prolific scorers.
To make major inroads in their first season in the pro league, Global Port will need major contributions from Rabeh Al-Hussaini, rookie Vic Manuel and a bench led by veteran Romel Adducul.

Follow the writer on Twitter: @richava

NU’s Ray Parks dedicates UAAP season success to a lost love

Francis Respicio, News5 · Friday, September 28, 2012 · 1:43 pm

InterAKTV/Roy Afable

The National University Bulldogs, once the league’s perennial cellar-dwellers, are enjoying their run in Season 75 of the UAAP, making it to the playoffs for the first time since 2001.
They owe most of their success to their main man, Bobby Ray Parks Jr.
“I just want to honor and praise God the best way I can, given the time I have,” said 19-year old, the son of legendary PBA import Bobby Parks, of his success.
The younger Parks’ mature outlook on life could perhaps be attributed to the tragedy he suffered prior to the start of the season. His girlfriend, Maan Panganiban, a former News5 sports reporter, passed away due to lymphoma last January.
At the start of the UAAP season, Parks took to wearing a shirt with the words “I Love Maan” during warmups, in honor of his lost love.
“She’s been a big part of my life… and she really was an influence to me,” said Parks of Panganiban, with whom he was in a relationship for 15 months.
And even though she’s gone, she remains in his mind and in his heart, even at the most crucial junctures of the UAAP campaign, when he would point skyward after making big plays.
“That was to God and Maan. Every game that I play and every time I step out on the court, I just want to dedicate it to them,” he said.
Parks added that he feels the presence of his late girlfriend even off the court, at his most trying moments.
“She just protected me off the court when it comes to either the media or hecklers. She really was there for me. She loved me more than she loved herself.”
His approach toward Panganiban’s loss and the subsequent turn of events for NU are perhaps a reflection of his father’s greatest lesson to him — to turn anything that’s negative into something positive.
Parks would once again need the inspiration when the UAAP final four begins, as the third-seeded Bulldogs face the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers on Saturday. UST holds the twice-to-beat advantage over NU.
But Parks is already thankful for the feat.
“God has His own purpose for the team. It was definitely great for the basketball team, but for the school also. It’s bringing back school pride.”

source: http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/nus-ray-parks-dedicates-uaap-season-success-to-a-lost-love

Clippers are signing Marqus Blakely

source: http://www.sportando.net/eng/usa/nba/44189/clippers-are-signing-marqus-blakely.html

The player was free agent

Los Angeles Clippers are signing Marqus Blakely for the upcoming season, a source told Sportando. The forward spent last season in D-League with Iowa Energy and Sioux Falls SkyForce and finished in the Philippines with B-Meg Llamados with whom he averaged 22.4ppg, 13.4rpg, 3.3apg and 2.7bpg in 22 games.

TAG Marqus Blakely, NBA Rumors, Basket Mercato, Los Angeles Clippers

PLAYERS

Position Age Height Weight Nationality

Small Forward (SF) 24 year old (22/10/1988) 196 Cm 102 Kg USA

Marqus Blakely Click on player's photo/name to see his stats.

Tickets for Ateneo-La Salle match selling for 20 times more in black market By Reuben Terrado

Patron seats at the Big Dome, priced at P350 at TicketNet, are being sold for P7,000 to P8,000 in the black market, or at least 20 times their original price. Jerome Ascano

IT'S not just the La Salle faithful who are mighty glad the Archers are back in the Final Four for the first time in two years.
Scalpers are, too.
With the stage set for the first playoff meeting between the Archers and arch-rivals Ateneo since 2007, scalpers expect to make a killing ahead of the big game on Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
This early, tickets released on sale to the public have been sold out and the Big Dome's ticketing arm, TicketNet, said there is no assurance that a new bulk of tickets will be put on sale early on Saturday.
Tickets are still available in schools, but students have aired gripes on social networking sites that getting your hands on one means enduring hours of waiting in long lines.
As expected, a lot of tickets still fell in the hands of scalpers despite a new rule put in place this season limiting the sale of tickets to Ateneo-La Salle games to students of the two elite schools.
This early patron seats at the Big Dome, priced at P350 at TicketNet, are being sold for P7,000 to P8,000 in the black market, or at least 20 times their original price.
The price is only bound to go higher in the hours before the match.
Meanwhile, tickets for the other Final Four match between University of Santo Tomas and National University, which are sold separately, are also selling like hotcakes, Big Dome agents said.
Patron tickets have been sold out but upper box and general admission seats are still available, according to TicketNet at posting time.

Source: http://www.spin.ph/sports/basketball/news/tickets-for-ateneo-la-salle-match-selling-for-20-times-more-in-black-market

Bevy of first-round picks make Barako Bull team of future. But will it take that path? By Dodo Catacutan

Ateneo's Kiefer Ravena, UAAP MVP Bobby Ray Parks, 6-11 Greg Slaughter, and La Salle rookie Jeron Teng are just some of the blue-chip prospects who coaches hope will make the jump to the pros in the next two years.Jerome Ascano

YENG Guiao’s eyes almost popped, and there was a palpable mixture of awe and envy in his voice, after he was told of how unbelievably good the future looks for pro league minnow Barako Bull.
“Seven first-round picks over the next two years?” an incredulous Guiao asked. When told that it was true, the veteran Rain or Shine coach paused for one moment, perhaps to take stock of what he had just heard, then snapped: “That’s money in the bank.”
Yes, you read it right, too. Barako Bull has seven first-round picks in the PBA rookie draft spread over the next two years – prized possessions which could turn the pro league’s oldest team at the moment into the most talented and promising in two years’ time.
That is, if the team plays its cards right.
Actually, the first-round picks should have been eight, had Barako Bull management not traded one 2013 first-round pick to San Mig Coffee for point guard Josh Urbiztondo, just the latest in several perplexing deals the team has entered into, most of them with San Miguel-owned ballclubs.
Still, seven first-round picks could leave any pro league coach salivating, especially since these can be used over a period when blue-chip prospects like 6-11 Greg Slaughter, Ateneo teammate Kiefer Ravena, La Salle's Jeron Teng, and perhaps UAAP MVP Bobby Ray Parks are expected to make themselves available for the draft.
“That’s a fantastic situation to be in,” said Meralco coach Ryan Gregorio. “Especially since you’ll be exercising the picks at a time when there are a lot of thoroughbreds entering the draft.”
After getting involved in several trades over the years, Barako Bull ended up holding the rights to the 2013 first-round picks of Barangay Ginebra, Petron, Meralco, and league newcomer Global Part, the pick which the Energy traded to San Mig Coffee for Urbiztondo.
The Energy Cola also own the right to exercise the first-round selections of Talk ‘N Text, Petron, and San Mig Coffee in 2014, aside from their own.
In his most conservative estimate, Guiao said any team is capable of turning into a legitimate contender “in two to three years” if it uses those first-round picks wisely.
“You can have a very competitive team in two to three years if you play your cards right. The talent and the potential will surely be there, but you have to wait a while until those young players get accustomed to playing in the pro ranks before you start winning,” said Guiao.
Gregorio feels it may take even a shorter time, considering how quickly young players of this generation – more so those emerging from top-notch college programs or the Smart Gilas set-up for the national team – have made their presence felt in the pro league.
“Look at [Marcio] Lassiter and Chris Lutz. Or even Paul Lee, na hindi man naglaro sa Gilas. Ang mga batang players ngayon, magaganda na kaagad ang mga fundamentals at skills kaya they can really make a ready impact pag-akyat nila sa PBA,” said the Bolts coach.
Granting these first-round draft picks take a longer time to adjust to the standards of the pro league, the smaller salaries rookies command can give Barako Bull enough leeway under the salary cap to sign top veterans who can either lead the way for the team while the young players mature, or play the role of mentor to the rookies, or both. Salaries of rookies are capped at P150,000 on the first year of their contracts and P225,000 on the second.
“If you have those players picked over two years, you won’t have any problem with the salary cap up to the third or fourth year of their stay with the team,” said Guiao, who had won three league titles with Barako Bull during the franchise's glory days in the league.
Barako Bull has since fallen on hard times, but it can certainly be the team of the future if it opts to rebuild over the next two years. But the question is, will it choose to go down that path?
Trades which one coach casually described as “beyond comprehension” have given Barako Bull an odd collection of players, most of them past their prime. Over the last offseason, the team ended up losing the lone remaining top-value player in its roster, Willie Miller.
Its ownership situation is also uncertain, with the team dogged by constant accusations of collusion with teams owned by San Miguel. Even its coach, Junel Baculi, may end up elsewhere at the end of the season, having been aggressively courted by Global Port owner Mikee Romero over the last few months.
"Hindi ko alam," said Guiao, when asked if his former team will go down that road and opt to rebuild. "That's something we have to see."

source: http://www.spin.ph/sports/basketball/special-reports/bevy-of-first-round-picks-make-barako-bull-team-of-future.-but-will-it-take-that-path