Coach Leo Isaac. NOY MORCOSO lll/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines – It’s official, the Philippine Basketball Association is up to a dozen teams and one veteran is smack in the middle of things.
Blackwater Sport and KIA took to Tito Chef at Microtel Libis for the PBA Expansion with the former choosing two-time Most Valuable Player Danny Ildefonso.
Sport head coach Leo Isaac said grabbing the Demolition Man for the first pick is like winning the lottery.
“Getting Danny I is like getting the jackpot,” Isaac said. “He would be a big boost for Blackwater.”
Isaac added that they hoped of surrounding Ildefonso, an eight-time champion, with talents that would complement the big man.
“Put a good team around him and see how it goes,” Isaac said. “Danny I is basically the extended arm of the coach of the team.”
“He’s got the maturity, the experience, and the fanbase.”
For the second pick, KIA selected big man Reil Cervantes who played for the Blackwater franchise in the PBA D-League.
PBA Commissioner Chito Salud said the pick was done in an alternating format with Blackwater choosing first then KIA.
KIA assistant coach Glenn Capacio said Reil was the best player for them in the draft and getting him was an opportunity that Blackwater gave.
“For us, Reil is the best player, we got the opportunity and we took it,” Capacio said.
He added that Cervantes’ changing of sides from Blackwater to KIA was a “nice move.”
Despite being absent from the Expansion Draft, KIA head coach Manny Pacquiao was well-informed of the choices.
“We were on the phone with him and told him of our choices,” Capacio said.
PBA’s Expansion players for Blackwater are Ildefonso, Alex Nuyles, JR Cawaling, Eddie Laure, Bryan Faundo, JP Erram, Paul Artadi, Gilbert Lawan, Bambam Gamalinda, Chris Timberlake, Norman Gonzales, and Robert Celis.
As for KIA, their players are Cervantes, Mike Burtscher, Hans Thiele, Alvin Padilla, Jai Reyes, Paul Sanga, Angelus Raymundo, Eder Saldua, Nic Belasco, LA Revilla, Joshua Webb, Richard Alonzo.
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