PBA: Rain or Shine Elasto Painters 2012 Draft preview

By CARLO PAMINTUAN, GMA News

Published August 14, 2012 2:19pm

2011-12 season recap:

Philippine Cup: 9-5 (5th), lost in the semifinals 3-4 to Powerade
Commissioner's Cup: 3-6 (8th), eliminated in the first round
Governors' Cup: 10-4 (1st), beat B-MEG 4-3 in the finals

PBA Draft Previews

1. B-MEG Llamados by Carlo Pamintuan 2. Alaska Aces by Chuck Araneta 3. Rain or Shine Elasto Painters by Carlo Pamintuan 4. Barako Bull Energy by Polo Bustamante 5. Air 21 Express by Chuck Araneta 6. Petron Blaze Boosters by Chuck Araneta 7. Meralco Bolts by Polo Bustamante 8. Barangay Ginebra Kings by Carlo Pamintuan 9. Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters by Polo Bustamante 10. Powerade Tigers by Polo Bustamante Think you can draft better than a PBA general manager? Check out the 2012 PBA mock draft machine and share your picks!

What happened? The past season of the PBA witnessed the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters finally break through with a championship. As with any Yeng Guiao coached team, it took only a short while before the young franchise finally won a title. This team was built from the ground up as they did not benefit from one-sided trades. In fact, they even traded away one of the stars in their team in Sol Mercado to get a bunch of roles players, which just proves that Guiao is the best motivator in the PBA today. There was a lot of promise going into the season as the Elasto Painters felt that they were ready to do some serious damage. It didn’t start out that well for them as they came across a Powerade team in the middle of their Tiger-ella run. Disaster struck in the next conference as they failed to advance from the elimination round. Then they found a gem of an import in Jamelle Cornley and went all the way to the Finals, winning their franchise’s first title in a seven game series against the B-MEG Llamados. Where do they go from here? Sky is literally the limit for this team. Winning championships is addicting. After their first taste of being on top, these Elasto Painters are raring to go at it again. However, the target is now on their backs. The other nine teams in the league will surely exert more effort in preparing for their games against Rain or Shine. Still, expect them to be in the mix in all three conferences. The Rain or Shine franchise has done tremendously in the past PBA Drafts. Expect them to have another good showing in this year’s draft. They may not always get the big names but they will always get the player who is the best fit for their team. What do they need most? Rain or Shine needs a big man who can be an option for that drive and dish, who can also be a factor on defense. Beau Belga and JR Quinahan are both big bodies who can stand their own on defense but Rain or Shine can use a big who can provide weak side help. They could also use another creator on offense as their sets

Possible first round pick (7th overall): Aldrech Ramos, Vic Manuel, Dave Marcelo, Ronald Pascual The general feeling is that the first five picks are set, although in no particular order, with Junemar Fajardo, Chris Ellis, Cliff Hodge, Chris Tiu, and Calvin Abueva are being pegged to take those slots. Picking seventh, Rain or Shine would want to get Aldrech Ramos as he fills some of the holes in their team. He is a tremendous defender who will provide help for their guards. But if Ginebra selects Ramos with their sixth pick, Guiao could select other bigs such as Vic Manuel or Dave Marcelo. Another option is to get Ronald Pascual who is arguably the best scorer in the draft. The energetic guard from Pampanga should have no problems working with Guiao who is the vice governor of the said province. Pascual can create his own shots which is something the Elasto Painters need especially when Paul Lee is not on the floor. Possible second round pick (17th overall): Janus Lozada, Jewel Ponferrada The selection of their second pick in the draft should be affected by their selection in the first. If they get Ramos with their seventh pick, they should try to get another scorer in the second round. The options include Adamson’s Janus Lozada who can shoot as well as post up and defend. If they get Pascual, the Elasto Painters might get another big man such as NU’s Jewel Ponferrada, who was a decent rim defender in the UAAP.

Possible trades After winning a championship, trading players will definitely be far from the minds of the Rain or Shine brain trust. But they might look into the possibility of getting a higher pick by giving up their first and second round picks, and maybe even a future pick or two. With coach Guiao openly saying that they want to get another big man, moving up to take the spot of Barako Bull or Barangay Ginebra might be on their list of things to try. - AMD, GMA News

Tags: pbaseason, pbadraft, rainorshineelastopainters