Draft Day risk Ahanmisi proves doubters wrong
Rain or Shine’s Maverick Ahanmisi. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Rain or Shine’s draft day gambit paid off for coach Yeng Guiao.
In hindsight, the fiery coach could only smile over Rain or Shine’s decision to pick Maverick Ahanmisi, the deputies’ choice, over his personal bet Scottie Thompson as the third overall pick in the 2015 PBA Draft.
“Actually, di ko talaga kukunin si Maverick eh, pero because of my trust in my coaching staff, kinuha ko na,” he said. “Sabi nila we would have a better chemistry, or better combination with Paul (Lee) and Jeff (Chan) with Mav.”
That risk yielded golden results as Fil-Nigerian playmaker emerged as a key cog for Rain or Shine’s title run, stepping up for his veteran teammates en route the team’s conquest of the 2016 PBA Commissioner’s Cup crown.
Ahanmisi proved to be the perfect compliment to the Elasto Painters’ already deep backcourt rotation, averaging 10.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in six games of the Finals, including a 30-point career game in game 4.
“Sabi ko rin, Maverick proved them wrong,” Guiao said. “I did not prove them wrong because sabi nila, the responsibility still falls on my shoulder because that was my decision although yung staff yung talagang nag-push. But it was really Maverick who proved the critics wrong with the way he played.”
Despite the early doubts, Ahanmisi said he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“It’s been like that all my life, since high school to college, so I’m used to it,” said the 24-year-old.
“Coach allowed me to be me. My teammates kept me comfortable, humble, and the whole time I was playing, they didn’t pressure me on being the third pick. They just let me come to my own pace so it’s really a testament to them, and my mentors Paul (Lee) and Chris (Tiu), why I’ve been playing this way.”
With the title now firmly in Rain or Shine’s clutch, Ahanmisi hopes that the winning run will continue as he closes out what is already a memorable rookie season for him.
“We got the young legs to run the floor and got the veteran smarts to outsmart teams. We got the best of both worlds,” he said. “We got a good group here, and I hope we’ll have more champs to come.”
