MY 2014 PBA ALL-ROOKIE TEAMS

With four teams having already ended their season (as of this writing) and only six clubs remaining to dispute the Governors’ Cup, I think the time is ripe to begin talking about some of the end-of-season awards. I already started this in my previous post about Greg Slaughter’s being the runaway Rookie of the Year and about how he should also be a member of one of the Mythical Five teams.

In this particular post, I’ll talk about even more of the rookies and try to build two PBA All-Rookie Teams. For the record, the PBA itself doesn’t announce two All-Rookie Teams. There really is just one, but I think it would be pretty fun to make a second team especially for this batch of rookies because so many of them have had shining moments this past season.

There are only a couple of guidelines to consider here:

1) A player named to any of the following teams must be a bona fide rookie in the 2014 season.

2) Each team is composed of one center, two forwards, and two guards. Given this particular limitation, I will take the liberty to judge whether certain players can play multiple positions or not.

For comparison purposes, these are the PBA All-Rookie Teams from the past two seasons:

2012 PBA All-Rookie Team:

C – James Sena

F – Dylan Ababou

F – Marcio Lassiter

G – Paul Lee (Rookie of the Year)

G – JV Casio

2013 PBA All-Rookie Team:

C – June Mar Fajardo

F – Calvin Abueva (Rookie of the Year)

F – Cliff Hodge

G – Alex Mallari

G – Chris Tiu

Just so we have some sort of objective statistical basis, let’s look at the top fourteen rookies as of June 18, 2014. These rankings are based on their player efficiency rating (EFF).

Name	GP	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	EFF
Greg SLAUGHTER	42	14.6	9.9	1.6	0.2	1.4	53.4	37.4
Terrence ROMEO	30	12.4	3.0	2.2	0.6	0.1	34.3	24.9
Raymond ALMAZAN	49	6.0	5.7	0.6	0.3	1.0	55.1	23.2
Ian SANGALANG	61	7.7	4.8	0.6	0.2	0.4	48.0	22.6
Jeric FORTUNA	23	6.7	2.5	2.0	0.4	0.0	36.7	18.3
Justin MELTON	50	4.5	2.1	1.2	0.9	0.2	40.1	16.8
RR GARCIA	32	6.4	1.7	1.6	0.3	0.0	34.6	16.5
Carlo LASTIMOSA	28	5.1	1.9	13	0.5	0.1	35.9	15.9
Eric CAMSON	34	3.7	3.5	0.2	0.3	0.1	43.4	15.8
Justin CHUA	29	3.7	2.3	0.4	0.2	0.3	38.3	15.6
Alex NUYLES	43	3.6	1.6	0.8	0.3	0.1	38.3	13.9
Eliud POLIGRATES	32	3.7	1.5	0.7	0.3	0.0	39.5	12.8
Nico SALVA	24	3.3	2.0	0.5	0.2	0.0	31.0	12.6
Jeric TENG	40	2.5	1.3	0.7	0.1	0.1	25.4	10.3

Again, keep in mind we should have one center, two forwards, and two guards for each team. Seeing as we can be flexible with the players’ positions, however, some “big guys” can be both C and PF (this includes Sangalang, Almazan, and Chua), while some “wingmen” can be both guards and forwards (this includes Nuyles and Teng).

Be that as it may, here are my picks for the best rookies of 2014:

My 2014 PBA All-Rookie First Team:

C – Greg Slaughter

Slaughter should be the Rookie of the Year for the season, despite the fact the Gin Kings blew hot and cold. Undoubtedly, Slaughter left an indelible impact on Ginebra and the PBA fans, and his match-up with June Mar Fajardo is something we should look forward to on an annual basis.

F – Raymond Almazan

Yes, Almazan almost always plays center, but when paired with Beau Belga, Alex McLean, or Wayne Chism, he actually sometimes played the 4 spot. He is almost a sure thing around the basket, and he has the potential to be a really big star in the pros.

F – Ian Sangalang

I wouldn’t be a wee bit surprised if some people think Sangalang should be Rookie of the Year. Though his numbers pale in comparison to Slaughter’s, one cannot discount the fact this former Golden Stag was a big reason the San Mig Super Coffee Mixers have a shot at a rare PBA Grand Slam.

G – Terrence Romeo

True to form, Romeo had an up-and-down season highlighted by his hot-again-cold-again shooting. Case in point, “Bro” had three instances this conference when he scored in single-digits after scoring in double-figures in the previous encounter. Still, in spite of his inconsistency, Romeo remains one of the most dangerous young guns in the league.

G – Jeric Fortuna

Fortuna didn’t play much early in the season, but he has really come along of late. In the Govs’ Cup, the former UST playmaker tickled the twine for two treys per game while norming nearly 10 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists per contest. Possibly the best game of his rookie campaign was a 10-point, 12-assist double-double performance against the Beermen last May 28, 2014.

Second Team:

C – Justin Chua

Chua has already bounced around quite a bit despite being just one year removed from the UAAP. He was drafted by San Mig Coffee, traded to GlobalPort, and now has ended up with the San Miguel Beermen. He has really yet to show what he is capable of, but given the right situation and more playing time, he has the potential to be a solid big for years to come.

F – Eric Camson

Despite playing barely more than 11 minutes per game this season, the former Adamson stalwart has impressed. The 6-4 power forward is averaging just 3.7 points and 3.5 rebounds per outing, but, again, that’s already given his paltry minutes. If he can play anywhere between 20-30 minutes per game, then we might just see the emergence of yet another underrated player.

F – Alex Nuyles

The 6-3 Nuyles has the perfect size, athleticism, and skill-set to be a consistent contributor in the PBA. His three-point and free throw shooting are both suspect, but Nuyles isn’t really built for those things. Nuyles is in the pros because of his aggressiveness and athleticism. Should he find his bearings soon, then the Painters have another rising star to their ever-glowing roster.

G – Justin Melton

If “Quick Melton” were on any other club’s roster, it wouldn’t be a shocker to see him blossom into one of the best guards in the PBA. Be that as it may, however, Melton isn’t the type who is after individual accolades. Instead, he’s a coach’s dream for his work ethic, dedication, and patience. Oh, and those hops!!!

G – RR Garcia

This former King Tamaraw and UAAP MVP has his work cut out for him at GlobalPort. In about 19 minutes per contest, Garcia puts up about 6 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists per game. Just like Fortuna, a change in scenery and playing time should give this kid a lot more confidence.

Agree or disagree? Who are your picks?

Enzo Flojo is has been writing about all things basketball for quite some time now. You can read more of his stuff on his nationally-recognized blog, HoopNut.com, on the college hoops site, InboundPass.com, on Rappler Sports, on Asia-Basket.com, or you can follow him on Twitter — @HoopNut.

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