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| Even before the Govs Cup, Rabeh Al-Hussaini is the hands down choice for Rookie of the Year. |
There are 22 rookies that played in the 2010-11
PBA Season. Among the drafted that didn’t play for the teams that selected
them are B-MEG’s Pari Llagas and Alaska’s Marvin Hayes. Ford Arao, Vaughn Canta, and Borgie Hermida
levelled down to the D-League while Khasim
Mirza’s PBA future is latched into jeopardy after Barako Bull announced its
disbandment.
Amateur team Smart-Gilas gave
the PBA teams a glimpse of the talent they will bring once they applied for the
draft.
And then there are still Paul Lee and the rest of the top stars
that will be joining the draft in August.
With one more conference to go,
here are the brightest stars of the 2010
PBA Draft.
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| Nonoy Baclao is good, but Rabeh should have been the top pick. |
Game starts now.
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| I was trying to look for an Elmer Espiritu action shot. It was hard. |
20 ELMER ESPIRITU / ALASKA (2010 / ROUND 1, NUMBER
4)
LAST
CONFERENCE RANK: NOT RATED
PHILCUP:
(7 games / 4.4mpg) 0.7 points, 0.4 rebounds, 0.3 blocks
COMCUP:
(2 games / 3.5mpg) 0.0 points, 0.0 rebounds, 0.5 assists
In the UAAP, it was automatic
for Espiritu to score ten points in a game. Who would have thought Espiritu
will have a hard time scoring ten points in a season?
19 EMMERSON ORETA / TALK N TEXT (2008 / UNDRAFTED)
LAST
CONFERENCE RANK: NOT RATED
PHILCUP:
(4 games / 2.3mpg) 1.0 points, 0.0 rebounds, 0.0 assists
COMCUP:
(8 games / 2.0mpg) 1.0 points, 0.5 rebounds, 0.1 assists
He played for Smart’s Liga
squad the Pampanga Buddies and has been a practice player for the squad when he
got the break. He had a lot of potential back in the day and it is just great
for him to at least reach the majors.
18 VAUGHN CANTA / SAN MIGUEL – BARAKO BULL (2010 /
UNDRAFTED)
LAST
CONFERENCE RANK: NOT RATED
PHILCUP:
(2 games / 9.0mpg) 1.5 points, 1.0 rebounds, 0.5 steals
COMCUP:
DID NOT PLAY
It shocked people that San
Miguel would still have a spot for a rookie. Canta played two games before
getting traded to the concluding Barako Bull franchise. Left without a team, he
found himself playing in the D-League.
17 JONATHAN UYLOAN / RAIN OR SHINE (2010 /
UNDRAFTED)
LAST
CONFERENCE RANK: NOT RATED
PHILCUP:
(1 game / 4.0mpg) 0.0 points, 0.0 rebounds, 0.0 assists
COMCUP:
(7 games / 5.3mpg) 0.7 points, 0.7 rebounds, 0.9 assists
He was one of those players
that would be happy by just wearing a PBA jersey. However, he is in Yeng
Guiao’s team where hard work and perseverance are rewarded. Expect more from
him next conference.
16 VAL ACUNA / B-MEG DERBY ACE (2010 / ROUND 2,
NUMBER 13)
LAST
CONFERENCE RANK: NOT RATED
PHILCUP:
(6 games / 6.7mpg) 2.8 points, 0.7 rebounds, 0.3 assists
COMCUP:
DID NOT PLAY
Acuna struggled to get minutes
for the squad. The former UE Red Warrior would have wanted to claim the minutes
left by James Yap when King James was in sickbay but the return of Kerby
Raymundo meddled in his slim chance to score playing time.
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| This pic makes Hans Thiele awesome. |
15 BORGIE HERMIDA / BARAKO BULL – SMART-GILAS
(2010 / ROUND 2, NUMBER 17)
LAST
CONFERENCE RANK: NOT RATED
PHILCUP:
(6 games / 11.5mpg) 2.2 points, 1.5 rebounds, 0.7 assists
COMCUP:
DID NOT PLAY
Days before the draft Hermida
scored a triple-double for San Beda. He finished the NCAA season before going
to Barako Bull. When Barako took a leave, Hermida was asked to move to
Smart-Gilas. He never saw action for the squad and Borgie found himself playing
in the D-League.
14 REY GUEVARRA / AIR21-SAN MIGUEL (2010 / ROUND
1, NUMBER 3)
LAST
CONFERENCE RANK: NOT RATED
PHILCUP:
(14 games / 10.2mpg) 2.0 points, 1.4 rebounds, 0.1 assists
COMCUP:
(4 games / 5.0mpg) 0.8 points, 0.8 rebounds, 0.0 assists
The former Smart-Gilas star
would have rather stayed in Air21 than to go the talent-infested SMB squad. To
begin with, he was barely putting up the numbers but hopefully Guevarra gets
his act together... for the next season.
13 BAM GAMALINDA / MERALCO (2010 / ROUND 2, NUMBER
11)
LAST
CONFERENCE RANK: NOT RATED
PHILCUP:
(10 games / 10.9mpg) 3.0 points, 1.6 rebounds, 0.7 assists
COMCUP:
(3 games / 5.7mpg) 1.3 points, 1.3 rebounds, 0.3 blocks
Gamalinda saw great minutes in
the Philippine Cup but his minutes were one of those scratched when Tony
Dandridge and Champ Oguchi came aboard. Once Nelbert Omolon heals from his
injury expect Gamalinda to give Bitoy his minutes.
12 JAI REYES / POWERADE (2010 / ROUND 2, NUMBER
18)
LAST
CONFERENCE RANK: 10
PHILCUP:
(9 games / 10.3mpg) 3.1 points, 1.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists
COMCUP:
(4 games / 7.0mpg) 0.8 points, 0.8 rebounds, 0.5 assists
With Powerade’s lack of decent
quarterbacks, Jainamite has a place in the squad. Sure, he is moonlighting on
Show Me The Manny but it is clear that he has the potential to shine.
Unfortunately, Reyes would get sidelined by injury which would put him back of
Powerade’s PG line.
11 LOU GATUMBATO (2004 / UNDRAFTED)
LAST
CONFERENCE RANK: 9
PHILCUP:
(4 games / 19.5mpg) 5.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists
COMCUP:
(2 games / 4.5mpg) 2.5 points, 0.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists
I remember when Sweet Lou was
playing for the Iloilo Megavoltz. From the looks of things, he looked like
Sacramento’s Jason Williams. Well he tried to... but anyway! He was Yeng Guiao’s
lucky pick when Marcy Arellano got injured in the Philippine Cup but after the
trade that sent Paul Artadi to Air21, his minutes and appearances waned.
 |
| Joshua Vanlandingham ranked second in scoring for the rookies with an 8.2 average. |
10 JIMBO AQUINO / BARANGAY GINEBRA (2010 / ROUND
1, NUMBER 8)
LAST
CONFERENCE RANK: 8
PHILCUP:
(16 games / 10.2mpg) 3.6 points, 0.9 rebounds, 0.3 assists
COMCUP:
(9 games / 9.3mpg) 2.4 points, 1.2 rebounds, 0.2 steals
Jimbo Aquino had his moments
playing for the Kings in the Philippine Cup but the entry of John Wilson and
Rob Labagala in the roster limited his chances to see action. It’s probably
because Wilson is an off/def guard while Aquino is more of a scorer than a
defender. Hopefully Uichico will give him minutes in the Governor’s Cup.
9 SHAWN WEINSTEIN / MERALCO (2010 / ROUND 1,
NUMBER 10)
LAST
CONFERENCE RANK: 5
PHILCUP:
(12 games / 11.7mpg) 3.0 points, 1.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists
COMCUP:
(3 games / 8.0mpg) 2.7 points, 0.3 rebounds, 0.3 assists
The entry of Sol Mercado
seriously disrupted his growth as a player. It also didn’t help that the import
is also claiming his minutes. I doubt if Weinstein’s luck will turn around in
the Governor’s Cup. He is one of those guys that would benefit in the D-League
if the league was meant to develop PBA bench warmers.
8 ROB LABAGALA / BARANGAY GINEBRA (2010 / ROUND 2,
NUMBER 12)
LAST
CONFERENCE RANK: NOT RATED
PHILCUP:
DID NOT PLAY
COMCUP:
(13 games / 16.0mpg) 5.8 points, 0.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists
I was shocked when the Kings
drafted him. I thought for sure they could have done better than picking
another guard in their guard-loaded roster. I was even more shocked when they
used him because when I didn’t see him in the Philippine Cup, I thought he was
playing for the Liga Pilipinas, the ABL, or the D-League. But you know what,
Jong Uichico placed his trust on him and he responded. As I have been saying,
Labagala is Uichico’s Ginebra version of Joey Mente. The former UE Warrior
ranked fifth in minutes for the rookies in the Commissioner’s Cup.
7 JOHN WILSON / BARANGAY GINEBRA (2010 / ROUND 1,
NUMBER 7)
LAST
CONFERENCE RANK: NOT RATED
PHILCUP:
(4 games / 2.5mpg) 0.0 points, 0.5 rebounds, 0.3 assists
COMCUP:
(16 games / 14.8mpg) 5.0 points, 2.2 rebounds, 0.8 assists
This product of Jose Rizal
University was a scorer and a defender and is a former NCAA MVP but sadly
injuries stalled him from performing during most of the Philippine Cup. When he
played in the Commish Cup, he blossomed as one of Uichico’s shock troopers. He
proved his worth further by performing valuable feats in their semi final and
finals series. His offense reminds me of Elmer Cabahug although he has better
penetration prowess and defensive capabilities.
6 RJ JAZUL / RAIN OR SHINE (2010 / ROUND 2, NUMBER
15)
LAST
CONFERENCE RANK: 6
PHILCUP:
(13 games / 11.7mpg) 4.5 points, 0.9 rebounds, 0.8 assists
COMCUP:
(10 games / 16.6mpg) 3.9 points, 1.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists
In some ways, the entry of Yeng
Guiao gave this former Letran Knight the avenue to shine. Sure, he was still
fighting for minutes but at least his role was more pronounced. Also, the fact
that he is a terrific defensive stopper holds the key for him claiming more
playing time for the Elasto Painters. Now if he can reclaim his scoring
prowess...
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| Sean Anthony needs to score more to help Powerade. |
5 JOSH VANLANDINGHAM / RAIN OR SHINE (2010 / ROUND
1, NUMBER 5)
LAST
CONFERENCE RANK: 7
PHILCUP:
(11 games / 10.1mpg) 3.7 points, 1.8 rebounds, 0.4 assists
COMCUP:
(9 games / 16.7mpg) 8.2 points, 1.8 rebounds, 0.6 assists
Vanlandingham started the
season with no idea how to fit in the ROS system. When Yeng Guiao entered the
fray, he became one of the Elasto Painters’ top scorers off the bench. With Sol
Mercado playing elsewhere, and with Ronjay Buenafe and Gabe Norwood struggling
to find their place in the system, Vanlandingham would be an important factor
for the team’s rise to the top.
4 HANS THIELE / BARAKO BULL-MERALCO-ALASKA (2010 /
UNDRAFTED)
LAST
CONFERENCE RANK: 3
PHILCUP:
(15 games / 25.1mpg) 7.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 0.9 assists
COMCUP:
(3 games / 4.3mpg) 0.0 points, 0.7 rebounds, 0.0 assists
Thiele’s performance shocked
everyone. He was snubbed at the draft and now he is seeking vengeance. All of a
sudden... Thiele became a hot commodity. This led to him being acquired by
Alaska in exchange for Reynel Hugnatan. The only problem for Thiele is he will
now encounter what Espiritu is experiencing at the moment and that’s at the
bottom part of the Aces’ rotation.
3 SEAN ANTHONY / POWERADE (2010 / ROUND 1, NUMBER
6)
LAST
CONFERENCE RANK: 4
PHILCUP:
(7 games / 24.4mpg) 9.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists
COMCUP:
(9 games / 13.3mpg) 5.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 0.9 assists
The lowly Powerade Tigers squad
is a mix of tolerable veterans and young upstarts. At the Philippine Cup,
Anthony seems to be a great scorer in the mode of Danny Seigle that the Tigers
severely lack. He is second in scoring for all rookies and fourth in rebounds
as well. The team solely depends on Gary David so his growth is something they yearned
for. However, with the entry of imports Russell Carter and Martin Zeno, his
playing time dropped.
2 NONOY BACLAO / AIR21-SAN MIGUEL (2010 / ROUND 1,
NUMBER 1)
LAST
CONFERENCE RANK: 2
PHILCUP:
(14 games / 28.1mpg) 5.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 2.5 blocks
COMCUP:
(10 games / 16.1mpg) 3.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.0 blocks
It was a shame that San Miguel
had to destroy Nonoy Baclao’s growth by bringing him to this powerhouse squad. Baclao
was improving before the trade. With his minutes almost slashed in half, the
current top pick struggled in his points, rebounds, and blocks. Unless they
give him a more pronounced role in Petron’s rotation (SMB’s new name), Baclao
would end up as a glorified version of Sam Eman.
1 RABEH AL-HUSSAINI / AIR21-SAN MIGUEL (2010 /
ROUND 1, NUMBER 2)
LAST
CONFERENCE RANK: 1
PHILCUP:
(15 games / 31.5mpg) 17.5 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.9 blocks
COMCUP:
(10 games / 30.8mpg) 12.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists
At this point, Rabeh is the
consensus choice of becoming the 2011 PBA Rookie of the Year. While his points
and rebounds dropped when he moved to San Miguel, he maintained his minutes. In
hindsight, he is the only rookie to score in double figures in the Commissioner’s
Cup (just like what he did in the Philippine Cup) and he did this playing
alongside Jay Washington, Arwind Santos, and Alex Cabagnot. His team will sport
a 6’2 import and that could only mean more playing time for the former UAAP
MVP.
After the Governor’s Cup, I expect Rabeh Al-Hussaini to bag the Rookie of the Year trophy. I think Hans
Thiele’s rank will go down unless Tim
Cone uses him prominently in the Governor’s Cup. Rob Labagala and John
Wilson will see minutes depending on the health of Enrico Villanueva and Jayjay Helterbrand while Josh Vanlandingham
and RJ Jazul will continue to share minutes in the SG/SF spots. I expect Nonoy
Baclao to get more minutes but I’m hoping that Sean Anthony will improve.
I think Anthony has the best
chance to take out Baclao from the second spot.
Game over!
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