Guiao shrugs off Ahanmisi surprise, happy with Rain or Shine’s draft haul
Everyone was surprised with Rain or Shine’s pick at third overall in the 2015 Gatorade PBA Rookie Draft.
“Nakakagulat ba? (Was it surprising?),” asked Guiao.
Rain or Shine pulled of picked unheralded Fil-American Maverick Ahanmisi at no. 3, who was likewise stunned by the early selection.
READ: Rain or Shine surprise no. 3 pick Ahanmisi also stunned by selection
But Guiao said the move was made upon the recommendation of the coaching staff and the management.
“I thought he was a real legitimate first rounder, but to make him number three, I had doubts. Personally, I was looking at Art dela Cruz or Scottie Thompson, but he was highly recommended by coach Mike (Buendia), coach Caloy (Garcia), and the two sons of Boss Raymond (Yu). The coaching staff knows Maverick more than I do, although I’ve seen some of his games for CafeFrance and in college,” he said.
“I was overruled by the coaching staff. If they believe in him that much, I can allow myself to be overruled. And I saw in the games, he really has a high upside. It was a long, hard discussion. From number three down, it’s really a toss-up, so before we got here, we really decided on it first.”
READ: PBA Draft: Tautuaa, Rosario go 1-2; Thompson to Ginebra
But as the dust settled, Guiao believes Rain or Shine made a great selection, saying, “I think in the PBA, he can make an immediate impact.”
Overall, it was a successful draft for Rain or Shine, which also nabbed Josan Nimes, Don Trollano, and Simon Enciso before passing on their picks late in the second round and onwards.
“We’re very happy. The only one which we didn’t get was Glenn Khobuntin. Everybody that we tried to draft, we were able to get them,” the feisty coach said.
Guiao also said that the Elasto Painters really capitalized with the depth of this rookie pool.
“Because this draft was so deep, you can pick two to three years in advance. These are the guys you can hone and build chemistry,” he said. “We will have a good team with the talent these guys already have, blend it with the veterans. It’s like we advanced our progress two to three years in advance.”
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