MANILA, 20 August 2007 — Up until three weeks ago, Joe DeVance’s Philippine Basketball Association career — or what it would be - was hanging by a thread, dependent on a Department of Justice ruling he was awaiting.
Yesterday, the 6-foot-7 Fil-American center was the toast of the league after Welcoat made him the first overall choice in the 2007 Rookie Draft.
It was a distinction that will undoubtedly bring him fame and some fortune - and the responsibility of turning the doormat Dragons around.
“It’s all about Joe DeVance right now,” said the 25-year-old DeVance, a graduate of Cirminal Justice studies from the University of Texas in El Paso . “I’m a Dragon now. Now it’s all about Welcoat.
“I’ll try my best to bring Welcoat to the best situation we can be. There will be no individual ambitions for me, period.” DeVance, who gained DoJ recognition of his Filipino citizenship only last Aug. 6, is the kind of player the Dragons need, according to coach Leo Austria, as he is a perfect complement to prized sophomore Jay-R Reyes.
“I hope that with DeVance around, our team would be competitive,” said Austria . “Winning the championship is not our immediate goal. Making the playoffs is.
“We did not pick him (DeVance) to be traded. He and Jay-R are perfect. His (DeVance) offensive game is a big plus.” The choice of DeVance as No. 1 overall gave a Fil-American that distinction for the third straight year after Anthony Washington with Air21 in 2005 and Kelly Williams of Sta. Lucia last year.
And that left homegrown talent Samigue Eman as the No. 2 choice snagged by powerhouse San Miguel Beer, never mind if Welcoat had promised to make him No. 1.
“He (DeVance) is the popular, the right, and the logical choice,” said Austria , whose team finished dead-last in its first two PBA tournaments, during the Draft at the Market! Market! in Taguig. “We just felt DeVance is the complete package,” added Austria in justifying the team’s choice. “He can play effectively on both ends.” The first surprise of the proceedings came when Sta. Lucia announced the third overall choice, as the Realtors went for Ryan Reyes, a California-raised, 6-foot-1 point guard.
Air21 got the player it desired with the fourth overall selection, snaring former Ateneo hotshot JC Intal, before using the fifth pick to add heft to its frontline by choosing another former Blue Eagle in Doug Kramer.
The Express also snagged San Beda scoring forward Yousif Aljamal with the 8th pick.
Alaska, which had successive picks from 6th in the first round, drafted a pair of big men in Ken Bono and JR Quiñahan, choices that created rumors that Nic Belasco was on the way out in favor of Jun-Jun Cabatu of Welcoat.
Jonas Villanueva went to the Beermen as the ninth draftee, and Barangay Ginebra, the reigning Philippine Cup champion, completed the first round drafting by claiming point guard Macky Escalona, also from Ateneo.
Rounding out the draft picks were: Ron Buenafe, Coca-Cola (11th); Ryan Arana, Welcoat (12th); Melvin Mamaclay, Sta. Lucia (13th); Marvin Cruz, Air21 (14th); Jojo Duncil, Red Bull (15th); Ardy Larong, Alaska (16th), and Rolly Masbang, Air21, (20th).
Purefoods, which traded its second round choice to Red Bull, and Talk ‘N Text did not pick and passed on the only chances that they had.
The league’s 33rd season opens on Oct. 14, a two-week postponement which came after erstwhile commissioner Noli Eala resigned after being disbarred by the Supreme Court for “immorality.” All told, only 17 of the 44 total applicants were selected in the proceedings, and teams which drafted players have only five days to tender offers before they lose their rights to said players. The 37 who were not selected are free to try out and negotiate with any team of their choosing.
