Big Business won big time in the Philippine Basketball Association last Wednesday. Thec Investments Corp. eliminated their opponents from further competition in this year’s Philippine Cup Conference. They beat them in the same fashion their parent company meets competitors.
The Beermen include players who were top 10 draftees. Three of them were No. 1 overall, Jun Mar Fajardo in 2012, Moala Tautuaa in 2015, CJ Perez in 2019; Chris Ross was No. 3 in 2009, Marcio Lassiter No. 4 in 2011, Rodney Brondial No. 6 and Jericho Cruz No. 9 in 2014, and Vic Manuel No. 9 in 2012. Except for Fajardo, the players mentioned were drafted by other teams. San Miguel acquired them through trade. San Miguel’s right to pick No. 1 in 2012 was itself acquired through trade.
Blackwater through the years drafted Juami Tiongson, Brian Heruela, Art Dela Cruz, Almond Vosotros, Mac Belo, Reymar Jose, Bobby Rey Parks, Rey Suerte, Maurice Shaw, and, this year, Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser. It traded its rights to pick first in 2015 to TNT which picked Tautuaa, and to pick third in 2021 to NLEX, which chose Calvin Oftana. If it had kept all its draftees and used its rights in 2015 and 2021, Blackwater Bossing could have given the Beermen a decent fight.
Uytengsu said, “The purpose of the draft is to strengthen the weaker teams. However, what we have seen lately is these weaker teams end up selling their top draft picks because if you look at who is being traded in return, it clearly doesn’t make basketball sense for the weaker teams, unless there is other consideration.”
In 2019, Global Port/NorthPort traded its 2014 top draft pick to Ginebra San Miguel for Sol Mercado, Jervy Cruz, and Kevin Ferrer. Mercado is out of the PBA and Cruz has not been fielded this conference. In 2021, Terrafirma Dyip/Kia Picanto sent to San Miguel CJ Perez, No. 1 pick overall in 2018. Dyip got Russel Escoto, Gelo Alolino, and Matt Ganuelas Rosser.
Billionaire Mikee Romero, owner of the NorthPort Batang Pier could not hold on to Stanley Pringle. The other Dennis A. Uy, owner of Super LPG Fuel Masters, has not manifested any intention or inclination to keep Mathew Wright, Phoenix’ first draft choice when it joined the league during the Commissioner’s Cup of 2016. Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, Inc. is one of the principal units of Udenna Corp., Uy’s business empire.