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PBA: Meralco Bolts 2012 Draft preview

By POLO BUSTAMANTE

2011-12 season recap:
  • Philippine Cup: 8-6 (6th) swept 0-2 in the quarterfinals by Petron
  • Commissioner’s Cup: 4-5 (6th) lost 1-2 in the quarterfinals against B-MEG
  • Governor’s Cup: 6-8 (6th) eliminated in the semifinals
         
     PBA Draft Previews
What happened? It was a mediocre season for the promising Meralco Bolts. On paper, these guys should be able to compete with the likes of Ginebra, Petron and B-MEG for the third and fourth seed every conference. They certainly have the firepower, with both Mac Cardona and Sol Mercado in their line-up. Unfortunately, this team hasn’t been able to put it all together, suffering early playoff flameouts in all three conferences. The Bolts were an early season surprise in the Philippine Cup, when they finished with an 8-6 record. They looked primed for a good showing in the quarterfinals but couldn’t get things going against the Blaze Boosters, resulting in a sweep. Both reinforced conferences played out the same for Meralco. They started off slow with their initial picks for imports and then opted for mid-conference import changes. The Bolts then showed flashes of promise, but could not get any real momentum going, stumbling into the playoff rounds where they would rack up a few wins before getting the boot. Where do they go from here? Right now, the Meralco Bolts have an issue with their team chemistry. Their team is built like the 2010-11 Miami Heat, with two primary options in Cardona and Mercado, who are surrounded by role players and shooters. This set-up forces coach Ryan Gregorio to split the minutes of the two, resulting in a lot of ‘you go, then I’ll go, then you go again’ offense, a complete misuse of their talents. What the Bolts needs is a pecking order, and if the other guy isn’t happy with the situation, well, both Cardona and Mercado are very trade-friendly assets that could net them a glue guy or a post player who will better serve the team moving forward. What do they need most? The Bolts need to improve their forward position. Looking at the line-up of Meralco, they’re clearly set at the guard position with Cardona, Mercado and Chris Ross. The center position is also set with Asi Taulava, Jay-R Reyes and Jason Ballesteros The 3 and 4 spot is where things are a bit bare. Currently they have Mark Borboran, Mark Macapagal and Mark Canlas playing the SF postiion while Reynel Hugnatan, Dennis Daa and Gilbert Bulawan man the PF position. While they are all very serviceable players, none of them are starter-worthy players who can provide consistent scoring and rebounding to help Cardona, Mercado and Taulava.
Possible first round pick (4th overall): Cliff Hodge, Chris Ellis, Alex Mallari This draft is stocked with forwards that Meralco can take to strengthen their starting line-up. If by any chance Cliff Hodge falls to Meralco at the fourth pick, they should take him. Words like “high motor”, “defense”, “rebounding” and “athletic” are always attached to Hodge, making him the perfect fit. He’s going to be productive grabbing offensive boards, playing help-side defense and finishing the break even without the ball in his hands. If Hodge is gone, then the Bolts should address their other forward position. At their draft position, they have a tough choice to make, with either Chris Ellis or Alex Mallari available. These guys are alike in a lot of ways. They’re both silky smooth operators who have a knack for getting to the basket. Their range extends all the way out to the three point line too. As a bonus, they can both play the distributor role by attracting the defense and dishing to open players. Ellis has been constantly high on a lot of people’s draft boards due to his unreal athleticism. He’s a winner both in the amateur level and the international level. Mallari has made waves due to good workouts which has helped boost his draft stock. He’s a highly productive player on the amateur level. You can’t go wrong with any of these guys as your fourth pick.  
Possible trades Any trades during draft night will be dependent on who Meralco got with their fourth pick and who’s available after the fifth pick. A trade involving Cardona for the fifth or seventh pick is the most possible move that Meralco can make. If Meralco gets to draft Hodge, then they should try and make a move for the fifth pick of Barako Bull to get either Ellis or Mallari. However, if the Bolts end up drafting a SF because Hodge is off the board, then they should target the seventh pick of Rain or Shine. A trade of Mac Cardona and Gilbert Bulawan for the seventh pick and Jervy Cruz would be great move for Meralco. They get to draft either Keith Jensen or Vic Manuel and get a productive player in Jervy Cruz giving them a solid, young PF core.  - AMD, GMA News
Tags: pbaseason, meralcobolts, pbadraft
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