How did the teams fare in the first round of the 2025 PBA Rookie Draft? Let’s take a look at each pick.
The PBA Season 50 Rookie Draft took place on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Music Hall, with 77 of the 122 applicants taken over a record 11 rounds.
Not all of them will be signed up, of course, but it’s practically a given that all the first-rounders will be on a roster when the league opens its golden season on October 5. This year’s batch has been described as top-heavy, with perhaps six or seven rookies good enough to make a difference right away. Also, a good number of them picked in the first round are already battle-tested, having played overseas and/or in the MPBL and already in their mid-20s.
Having said that, here’s our analysis of each pick of the first round.
1. Terrafirma Dyip
Geo Chiu (C, 6’10”, 24 y.o.)
In Chiu, the Dyip are getting a tall but raw big man who can share minutes with Kemark Cariño and Keith Zaldivar. If you’re a glass-half-full guy, then the adage “you can’t teach height” applies here. It remains to be seen just how effective Chiu will be in the pros, given that he averaged less than two points and three rebounds per game in his final UAAP season with the Ateneo Blue Eagles, but 6’10” is 6’10”. He will have to do a lot better, though, than the 26% he shot from the field in UAAP Season 86.
2. Converge FiberXers (from PHX)
Juan Gomez de Liaño (G, 6’0”, 25 y.o.)
Quite possibly the best pure talent in this year’s rookie batch, Juan GDL will boost an already loaded Converge backcourt. The FiberXers won’t have any problem with getting scoring from their guards, as Gomez de Liaño has shown he isn’t afraid to hoist it up, just like future teammates Schonny Winston and Alec Stockton. Add a promising frontline of Justin Arana and Balti Baltazar to the mix, and Converge could pull a few surprises.
3. Blackwater Bossing
Dalph Panopio (G, 6’1”, 25 y.o.)
Panopio has the maturity and court smarts to make an impact on a Blackwater team that is still trying to get over the hump under the tenure of Jeff Cariaso. A backcourt combo of him and Sedrick Barefield is very intriguing, not to mention pretty tall. Expect Panopio to be a starter right away as the Bossing aren’t exactly loaded at the point guard position.
4. NorthPort Batang Pier
Chris Koon (F, 6’5”, 24 y.o.)
Koon was a steady, if unspectacular, utility guy for Tab Baldwin on the Blue Eagles. Save for his final season, where he was the most veteran player on the roster, he was never the main man, but he did thrive in Baldwin’s system and didn’t shrink from the moment. His length and toughness could be useful on a Batang Pier team that is still trying to find its bearings after losing Arvin Tolentino to Korea and Will Navarro and Zavier Lucero to trades.
5. NLEX Road Warriors
L-Jay Gonzalez (G, 5’9”, 26 y.o.)
This was perhaps the first big surprise of the draft. Gonzalez wasn’t expected to be in the top five, especially with Jason Brickman and Will Gozum still on the board, but the Road Warriors apparently decided they needed a smallish guard to add to their rather crowded backcourt of Robert Bolick, Richie Rodger, Matt Nieto, Kevin Alas, and Baser Amer. Gonzalez, though, showed he could hit the big shot during his tenure with the FEU Tamaraws, and is probably excited at the prospect of being reunited with Tamaraws teammate Xyrus Torres.
6. Magnolia Hotshots
Yukien Andrada (F, 6’4”, 24 y.o.)
The Hotshots ushered in the LA Tenorio era by selecting promising forward Yukien Andrada, who they hope can at least partially fill the void left by William Navarro and the looming void that could be created by the potential departure of the still-unsigned Zavier Lucero. Andrada was a key figure in the San Beda Red Lions’ NCAA title run two years ago, and with a hole in the Hotshots’ front court, he figures to get some quality minutes.
7. Meralco Bolts
Jason Brickman (G, 5’10”, 33 y.o.)
The Bolts were leaning towards a big man, a source told The GAME during the Rookie Combine, but with the veteran Brickman still available, apparently, they couldn’t pass up the opportunity. Brickman has been on PBA teams’ wish list for years, but problems with his Philippine passport kept him out of the draft. But now that he’s finally here, the question is, at 33, how many productive years does he have left in the tank? Also, at that age, the Meralco backcourt got deeper but not much younger as Chris Newsome is 35 and Chris Banchero is 36. Still, Brickman should bring veteran smarts and leadership to the Bolts.
8. Phoenix Fuel Masters (from CON)
Will Gozum (C, 6’4”, 26 y.o.)
There’s palpable excitement at the Fuel Masters camp with longtime assistant Willie Wilson taking over the reins as head coach from Jamike Jarin, who moves up to consultant. Wilson was known as a tough, smart, undersized big man during his playing days, and Gozum could benefit from his tutelage. Measured at 6’4” without shoes at the combine, the former NCAA MVP will be giving up a few inches in the paint against bigger opposition. But with Raoul Soyud and Jason Perkins getting up there in years, Gozum might be inserted early on in the rotation.
9. San Miguel Beermen
Christopher Miller (G, 6’3”, 32 y.o.)
The Beermen are taking a chance on the relatively unknown Miller, a 6’2” combo guard from Salem University. At 32, Miller is an 11-year veteran of international ball, with stops in Germany, El Salvador, and Bosnia. Being a veteran is important if you’re going to be coached by Leo Austria, who traditionally has not been fond of giving minutes to rookies. Miller won the 3-point contest at the combine, and he will have to bring that shooter’s mentality if he wants to crack the Beermen’s deep guard rotation.
10. Rain or Shine Elasto Painters
Christian Manaytay (F, 6’4”, 25 y.o.)
From Pido to Yeng. Manaytay will be transferring from one fiery coach to another after he was picked by the Elasto Painters. He spent three seasons playing for Pido Jarencio on the UST Growling Tigers, where he was a main man on last season’s second runner-up team. After a brief stint in the MPBL, he will now get a chance to prove his worth under Yeng Guiao’s egalitarian system. Guiao is picky with his players — hence the term “a Yeng Guiao type of player” — so he must have seen something in Manaytay.
11. Barangay Ginebra San Miguel
Sonny Estil (F, 6’3”, 24 y.o.)
Estil made his mark in the rookie combine after being named MVP of the mini-tournament. Being drafted by Ginebra is surely a great honor, although, like Austria, Tim Cone is not known to give his rookies a lot of minutes. Then again, a player like Ralph Cu has also shown that with the right breaks, a rookie can gain Cone’s trust. It’s up to Estil now to show off what he’s got and prove that he can be the “Estil of the draft”.
Rain or Shine Elasto Painters (from TNT)
Arthur “Jun” Roque (G, 6’3”, 23 y.o.)
Another interesting pick by the Elasto Painters. Roque made his mark with the Perpetual Help Altas, being named Most Improved Player and earning a Mythical Five nod with solid numbers across the board. He then transferred to Letran, where he will play his final collegiate season next month before suiting up for Rain or Shine possibly in January. For a wingman, Roque has the length, shooting and athleticism to possibly earn minutes for Guiao.
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