Draft Combine gives coaches a glimpse of players’ character, says Trillo
As this year’s PBA hopefuls were put to a series of drills and tests at the 2015 Gatorade PBA Draft Combine, several coaches also gathered in the same venue with an eye out for their possible picks in the Rookie Draft on Sunday.
One of the coaches in attendance was Meralco assistant coach Luigi Trilloc, who was scouting for players who he thinks the Bolts would have a chance to draft to address their needs.
“We can’t make mistakes as coach Norman (Black) said. We can use from the point guard to the center because we’re not as deep talent-wise and a one and a five will be great for us. But in terms of the best talent it’s 2, 3, 4,” Trillo said.
Trillo feels doing good in the Combine can make a difference, but being the fastest finisher in the drills and registering the highest vertical leap won’t guarantee anything as far as getting drafted is concerned.
How high a player jumps and how quick he runs are not the only qualities of basketball players that coaches look at. What also interests coaches is the attitude.
“I think coming in here just to see what passion some of these guys have. Some of the guys are going to play it safe. For me it’s coming here and seeing if he’s willing to go through the hardships of getting up seven in the morning no matter if he’s an early first round pick,” Trillo said.
“At the same time it gives you a side of some picks are so close that you wanna see how strong a guy is or how high his vertical leap is.”
Last year, Chris Banchero made headlines at the Gatorade a Draft Combine by topping every test. He was being projected to land at No. 2 but instead the Fil-Italian guard slipped to No. 5 and fell on Alaska’s lap.
James Forrester, the high-leaping guard out of Arellano University, was also a cut above the rest when it comes to athleticism and he came out of nowhere as the fourth overall pick by Barangay Ginebra.
“When you impress in that kind of setting, your draft value rises. Look also at the draft before, Forrester was also impressive at the [Combine] and he bumped up to four so it’s an indication,” he said.
“Coaches want to go out of their way to see the character of a player, to see the measurements on the court, to see what he’s got to offer in terms of range on the court so all of this is important,” Trillo added.
In the morning session on Wednesday, Fil-American guards Maverick Ahanmisi and Jerramy King shone by showcasing their athletic abilities.
Ahanmisi bested the first batch of aspirants in the 3/4 Court Sprint and the Lane Agility Drill while King had the highest vertical leap and quickest reaction time.
Unheralded Ryan Wetherell, meanwhile, turned heads in the afternoon session by registering the best times and measurements in the 3/4 Court Sprint, Lane Agility Test, and Vertical Leap.
“Other than that my excitement is seeing them drill-wise when they run 3-on-3, when you run off ball screens, one dribble in if they can hit shots. Those types of things you get a feel of repetition and that’s a good stepping stone look. It’s like an icebreaker.”
The former Alaska head coach is also looking forward to the five-on-five on Thursday where the hopefuls will team up and compete against each other.
“The key is Thursday where you’ll see more of the head coaches come in.”
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