PBA: Alaska Aces 2013 draft preview

2012-13 season recap:

• Philippine Cup: 8-6 (5th), lost to the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters in the semifinals
• Commissioner’s Cup: 11-3 (1st), won the Championship versus Barangay Ginebra San Miguel
• Governors’ Cup: 4-5 (7th), lost to the San Mig Coffee Mixers in the quarterfinals

What happened last season?

Last season was an age of retribution for the Alaska Aces, which suffered the indignity of enduring one of the worst seasons in its existence when former head coach Tim Cone left the squad in 2011.

With the acquisition of Jvee Casio in exchange for former franchise player LA Tenorio, as well as drafting Calvin Abueva second overall in the draft, the Aces hit the ground running in the Philippine Cup, pushing the defending champions Talk N’ Text to six games in a grueling semifinals series, before eventually bowing out.

In the Commissioner’s Cup, they finally broke through, winning the championship in a sweep against Barangay Ginebra. Come the final conference of the season though, Alaska was unable to extend their run, as they were eliminated by eventual champions San Mig Coffee in the Governor’s Cup quarterfinals. All-in-all, Alaska completely skipped the rebuilding process, and positioned themselves as contenders for years to come.


What do they need?

The Aces need more outside shooting from the front court position. Although this may sound strange with a team that has Casio, Cyrus Baguio and Dondon Hontiveros, the Aces at times were too reliant on the same set plays between Casio and Sonny Thoss, to the point of being predictable. Without that floor spacer at the forward position, teams were bold in double-teaming Thoss and breaking up the offense. By drafting players who can make the outside shot, it should help keep the Aces’ offense humming, and free up the inside for Thoss to operate.



Who do they pick?

Fortunately for the Aces, this is a draft loaded with swingmen who can shoot from outside. With the eighth pick, Alaska will most likely be able to choose from studs like Alex Nuyles, James Forrester, JR Cawaling, Nico Salva and even Eric Camson. Rumblings from the Alaska camp have been that Nuyles, Forrester and Cawaling have had excellent workouts with the Aces, so they might be leaning towards those players. Forrester might be a bit undersized to play the 3 or 4, so Cawaling and Nuyles might be the best bets at this spot for the Aces.

In the second round, it’s highly unlikely that Alaska will keep either of these picks. However if they do retain these selections, look for them to grab players who can help strengthen the bench, like Camson from Adamson, or even Ryan Buenafe from Ateneo.

[Try out our 2013 PBA mock draft machine here]

Possible trades:

The Aces have made it clear that they are very willing to trade their first round pick. Their mindset is that their core is set for the future, so any future investments will have to wait. If they do decide to move a pick or two, look for them to grab a veteran forward from other teams in exchange. This will help keep them invested in the future, while still continuing to develop their roster as currently constructed. - AMD, GMA News