By Jonas Terrado
CJ Perez’s dream of playing alongside the cream of the crop is set to become a reality when he is expected to be selected first overall by the Columbian Dyip this afternoon in the PBA Rookie Draft at Robinsons Place Manila.
The Dyip are intent on taking the former Lyceum star over current ASEAN Basketball League standout Ray Parks Jr. and ex-San Beda hero Robert Bolick in the proceedings that are expected to last about two hours.
Columbian management led by team governor Bobby Rosales also made it known as early as November that they have no plans of trading Perez, avoiding a repeat of last year’s controversial decision to deal the right to pick Christian Standhardinger to San Miguel Beer.
Blackwater will go with the best player available at No. 2, which will likely be the 25-year-old Parks.
Parks’ entry to the PBA has been long overdue after spending time in the NBA Summer League, NBA D-League and the ABL with San Miguel Alab Pilipinas.
Parks, however, won’t be around to greet his new employers after he was given permission by PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial to suit up for Alab’s ABL match against CLS Knights Indonesia in Surabaya.
NorthPort, which will pick third, is likely to go for Bolick, who won two NCAA championships for his clutch heroics for San Beda University.
The rest of the first round picks will be a guessing game of sorts for rival teams, media and fans who’ll gather at the activity center of the busy shopping area in Malate.
NLEX now holds the fourth pick after acquiring the rights from Phoenix in exchange for Alex Mallari and Dave Marcelo, while Meralco gets to choose at No. 5.
Rain or Shine has the sixth and eighth picks in the first round, the former received via a trade that sent Jericho Cruz to TNT last February, NLEX gets to choose again at No. 7, Governors’ Cup finalists Alaska and Magnolia at ninth and 10th, Columbian (from SMB) at 11th and Phoenix (from Barangay Ginebra San Miguel) at 12th.
Among the players groomed to be taken in the first round are Abu Tratter, Bong Quinto, Paul Desiderio, Trevis Jackson, Javee Mocon and Michael Calisaan.
