Purefoods upbeat after draft

If there’s a team that lucked out in Friday’s Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) draft, it’s Purefoods. Tender Juicy Hot Dogs coach Ryan Gregorio said he couldn’t be happier with the three picks he plucked in a draft that was the leanest in four years. Only 27 of 46 candidates were chosen with the first pass coming as early as the 17th pick in the second round. Undrafted were 19 hopefuls, including the likes of Arnold Booker, Arvin Garcia, Tristan Codamon and Nurjan Alfad who automatically became free agents.

FedEx emerged the topnotcher among the PBA’s 10 teams with five choices, three in the first round. Marc Pingris, Ranidel de Ocampo and Wesley Gonzales were the Express’ first round picks. Coach Bonnie Garcia tapped Maui Huelar and Nino Marquez in the later rounds.

But more than FedEx, Purefoods looked to the draft as its way out of the doldrums. The Hot Dogs were woeful last season, posting a 9-27 record (.250) as the only team not to register at least 10 wins the entire year. They finished second to the last in the All-Filipino and Reinforced Conferences and were the doormats in the Invitationals.

Gregorio, who took a brief leave of absence last year to educate himself on coaching trends in the US, vowed to bounce back with a vengeance from a forgettable season.

Shaking up his lineup, Gregorio took in veteran Jun Limpot from Barangay Ginebra and gave up Andy Seigle and Rodney Santos in exchange. He also traded Billy Mamaril to Shell for Eddie Laure and the Turbochargers’ No. 7 overall pick in Friday’s draft. That was the pick Gregorio used to tap 6-5 Ervin Sotto. Also gone from last season’s cast are Ronald Magtulis–back in the San Miguel All-Star squad–and Chris Cantonjos, now trying out for a Sta. Lucia Realty spot.

In the offseason, Gregorio signed up sharpshooter Peter Jun Simon who was Sta. Lucia’s fifth round pick, No. 43 overall, in the 2001 draft.

Gregorio said Shell’s offer for Mamaril was a deal he just couldn’t refuse. The deal involved Purefoods acquiring a certified shooter in Laure plus the No. 7 pick and Shell’s assurance that James Yap wouldn’t be the Turbochargers’ first overall choice. Gregorio insisted on the third condition to make room for Yap in the Hot Dogs roster.

As it turned out, Shell tapped Rich Alvarez as the first overall pick and left Purefoods to choose Yap next.

Lady Luck continued to smile on Gregorio as, picking first in the second round, he found point guard Paul Artadi–Yap’s long-time sidekick–still available. Gregorio’s wish list included a point guard and his options were Artadi and Fil-Am Kim Valenzuela. He didn’t think twice in tapping Artadi.

Yap and Artadi were teammates on the All-Star team that George Gallent coached to the Nike international high school championship in Taipei in 1999. They were also teammates at the University of the East in the UAAP and Welcoat in the PBL.

With his three draft picks, Gregorio filled up slots for a shooter in the wings, a big man and a point guard.

Gregorio said Rey Evangelista and Richard Yee, whose contracts expired at the end of last season, were recently signed to extensions. The fate of guard Ibet Demape, whose contract has also lapsed, is still in the balance. Alvin Patrimonio, he noted, has a year left in his contract.

Gregorio said he’s now ready to go to war in the PBA with a solid 12-man lineup that lists Patrimonio, Kerby Raymundo, Noy Castillo, Evangelista, Yee, Boyet Fernandez, Limpot, Simon, Laure, Yap, Sotto and Artadi. Only six holdovers are in the cast, seven if Demape returns.

Purefoods’ major facelift is an indication that this season, it’s determined to rise like the phoenix and relive the glory of 2002 when Gregorio took the Hot Dogs to their last PBA title in the Governors Cup.