INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines - The first two minutes of Japeth Aguilar's first game under coach Yeng Guiao was as good as it gets for anybody debuting in a new squad.

He had the game’s first rebound, scored the first two points for Powerade-Team Pilipinas on a vicious dunk and swatted two attempts with authority.

And even if he spent the game’s last two minutes on the bench with a jammed finger, Aguilar had given everyone a glimpse of what he has to offer—both to the RP team and to the PBA team that could end up drafting him No. 1 this year.

“Out of 10, I’d give myself a seven,” Aguilar said Thursday night after helping the RP cagers nip the visiting Soldiers for Christ, 100-94, at the FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan.

Fans hoping to catch a glimpse of the remaining three “points” may soon get to do so in the PBA, with the 6-foot-9 center setting his sights on August’s rookie draft.

“I’m thinking of the PBA draft,” said Aguilar. “I mean, why not, di ba?”

Playing for 2 RP teams

His reply was a far more definitive than the one he gave the Inquirer a week ago upon his arrival, when he said his priorities see-sawed on trying out for the other national squad, the Smart Gilas RP team shooting for the 2012 Olympics, and turning pro.

“I want to play for the two national teams also,” he said then.

But a stint with Smart Gilas would delay his entry to the PBA by three years. And by the sound of his voice Thursday night, it seemed that the wait would be too long—never mind if he said he still needs to talk to his father, former Ginebra stalwart Peter about it.

“Maybe after the Jones Cup, we will announce our decision,” said Aguilar, who is currently training with the Powerade-RP squad that is gunning for a berth in the 2009 World Championships in Turkey.

If he declares himself eligible for the draft, he will end up the No. 1 pick and land in the lap of Guiao, who can mentor Aguilar both as national coach and tactician of Burger King, which owns the first overall pick.

“This is the first time we’ve seen him in a game situation and even if there are a lot of things that he has to learn yet, he showed a lot of potential,” said Guiao.

Things he need to work on

Aguilar is aware of the things he needs to work on. He said he could’ve contributed more offensively after finishing the night with just eight points on two of seven shooting. He only had six rebounds in a 24-minute stint.

He had three turnovers, and a couple more credited to his teammates came after he missed his spots on the floor and couldn’t field their passes. One of those turnovers came when his 210-pound frame was bumped off the baseline.

But consider the upside: He finished with a game-high four blocks—eight or nine if fouls by teammates hadn’t nullified the other swats. And even if he missed two jumpers, he showed that for a big man, he was comfortable with his perimeter shooting.

And for a newbie, he took charge in the clutch, nailing a three-point play and adding a pair of free throws to help Powerade-RP steer clear of danger.

“It’s just his fourth day with the team and he’s still feeling out his role,” Guiao explained. “Parang naliligaw pa s’ya.”

But watching the 22-year-old Aguilar soar above the rim and run the court with an athleticism rare for guys his size leaves no doubt that he will soon find his way to the top.