NLEX STARTS YOUTH MOVEMENT
On the heels of another busy day for new team NLEX Road Warriors, team consultant Allan Gregorio bared that the trades they made are part of the team’s plan to go younger and prepare for their future as they start their journey in the 40th season of the PBA.
NLEX traded starting shooting guard Joseph Yeo to Barangay Ginebra San Miguel for a 2015 first round draft pick, and then switched picks with San Miguel Beer, sending their 2016 first round pick for the Beermen’s 2015 first rounder.
“That’s the plan,” Gregorio said. “But it won’t hurt if we use the present line up and try to improve as we go along the conferences.”
The Road Warriors inherited an overachieving lineup from the Air21 Express, which was led by MVP contender Asi Taulava, Yeo, and Mac Cardona.
The so-called ragtag squad reached the semifinals in the Commissioner’s Cup and was one of the contenders in the season-ending Governors’ Cup before getting the boot from Rain or Shine in the quarterfinals.
Aside from its top guys, NLEX can still bank on its core of players, including Sean Anthony, Aldrech Ramos, Jonas Villanueva and incoming sophomores Eliud Poligrates and Eric Camson.
The Road Warriors’ youth movement will also get a boost this coming Rookie Draft, as NLEX is set to pick fourth.
Familiarity won’t be much of an issue when it comes to their selection as players who suited up for the NLEX D-League squad are about to make the big jump to the big league like Kevin Alas, Garvo Lanete, Ronald Pascual, and San Beda stalwarts Kyle Pascual, Jake Pascual, and Rome dela Rosa.
But for Gregorio, he said that the team will hold their cards close to their chests until the time comes when NLEX will make the selection.
“We’ll be picking the best talent available,” he said. (RL)
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