Rain or Shine with draft pick Mike Tolomia. Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
As teams pick one hopeful from another in the 2016 PBA Rookie Draft, two teams opted to pass.
Alaska and Rain or Shine only selected players in the special draft and decided to skip the regular draft.
Elasto Painters coach Caloy Garcia said he didn’t see the need to draft more players after the team already addressed its needs in acquiring guard Mike Tolomia from the Gilas pool.
“We don’t want to give players false hope,” he said. “Baka may ibang team na may gusto sa kanila.”
Rain or Shine passed up on its ninth pick in the first round of the regular draft, in turn already foregoing its two choices in the second round.
“Since kami, we see that our lineup is already complete, medyo masaya na kami sa nakuha namin in Mike Tolomia,” he said.
Alaska assistant coach Louie Alas feels the same way, saying that the Aces already have enough in tow.
“Marami kaming gusto kaya lang wala na kaming slot eh. Parang unfair sa players na kukunin namin kung hindi naman namin sila mapapapirma,” he said.
The Aces got Carl Bryan Cruz in the Gilas draft.
Thirty-seven out of the 53 aspirants were drafted. Among the notables who were left out were former Letran Knight McJour Luib and ex-University of the East guard Gino Jumao-as.