In this series of posts, I will look at some of the most interesting prospects for each general basketball position — the big man, the wingman, and the point guard.
In my previous posts, I looked at some of the best big men and wingmen available in this draft, but now I will look at the top five playmakers in this year’s batch of rookies.
1) Garvo LANETE - 6’1, San Beda, 26 years old
- Given his skill-set, Lanete it’s very possible that Lanete can supplant any incumbent starting combo guard in the league. He can actualy fill in a need for any PBA club either as a solid point guard choice or a potent, if undersized, sniper at the two spot. He has been awesome in the D-League for Hapee, and his experience with the Gilas Cadets should serve him well against more seasoned comers in the pros. Also, at 26 years old, he is as prime as prime can be for the big time.
2) Roi SUMANG - 5’8, University of the East, 24 years old
- Sumang is the type of player who looks like he relishes being a team’s main man, which makes him a potentially very exciting player in the PBA. If he ends up on a team like Blackwater or Kia/Mahindra, he probably won’t play sparingly, and should eventually have more than his fair share of highlights pretty soon. Heck, he may even have the same kind of effect that Terrence Romeo had on GlobalPort. The former Letran Squire and UE Red Warrior has the tools to be the face of any young, emerging franchise despite his youth.
3) Baser AMER - 6’0, San Beda, 23 years old
- There are concerns surrounding Amer due to his shoulder injury and its possible long-term effects, but he ain’t no slouch as he has the potential to be a top-tier playmaker in the pros (provided he recovers well). His combination of speed, aggressiveness, and playmaking should make him effective at this level. His natural unselfishness and knack for making just the right play at the right time should be premium tools for any PBA team looking for a solid talent at the 1 spot.
4) Ryan WETHERELL - 6’0, Cal State Los Angeles, 27 years old
- Sure, he’s a bit of an unknown, but if he’s even just half as good as he’s billed to be, then any team that will pick him should have a solid young prospect in its hands. Yes, most PBA backcourts are already crowded, but there’s nothing really wrong with having too much of a good thing, right? He also scored high on yesterday’s Draft Combine drills, making his stock shoot up. From relative unknown, Wetherell has turned some heads and could be the next Justin Melton or, at the very least, Karl Dehesa.
5) Jerramy KING - 5’10, Cal State University, 24 years old
- Like Wetherell, King made a lot of PBA observers take notice in yesterday’s Draft Combine. He’s not the biggest guy out there, but he has the athletic tools to compete at a high level in the pros. The jury is out on whether he can run a PBA team well, but I have a feeling that, if given the chance, he can drop some big numbers and make some jaws drop in the PBA. Like Wetherell, this kid is a sleeper, but, also like Wetherell, the element of surprise may just be his biggest strength.
Other point guard prospects:
Michael Vincent DI GREGORIO- 6’1, McKendree University , 24 years old
Kris ROSALES- 6’0, Hope International, 24 years old
Abel GALLIGUEZ- 5’9, John Brown University, 25 years old
Jawhar PURDY- 5’8, Cal State Stanislaus University, 23 years old
Mark CRUZ- 5’5, Letran, 23 years old
Simon ENCISO- 5'11, Notre Dame de Namur University, 24 years old
Robin RONO- 5’11, NU, 24 years old
Andretti STEVENS, 5'11, Mapua, 23 years old
Nico ELORDE- 5’10, Ateneo, 23 years old
Almond VOSOTROS- 5’10, DLSU, 25 years old
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