With the Gilas five set with Isaac Go, Rey Suerte, Matt Nieto, Allyn Bulanadi, and Mike Nieto, Roosevelt Adams was the sure-fire number one overall for the Columbian Dyip in the regular edition of the 2019 PBA Draft.
What came next was a bit of surprise, though.
In possession of the second overall selection, newly-minted Blackwater head coach Nash Racela pulled the trigger and took a chance on the 34-year-old ex-Harlem Globetrotter Maurice Shaw.
“It’s a good gamble, ‘yung first round pick namin kay Maurice Shaw.
“We took a gamble in getting him, thirty-four years old, but it all depends on how he’ll play,” said the Racela, who last coached Talk N’ Text KaTropa in the PBA before making his return with Blackwater.
In a draft class heavily composed of guards, Racela admitted that it was hard to pass up on a guy with a 6-foot-8 frame like Shaw. He believes that the addition of Shaw will be a very big boost for a Blackwater team that lost Poy Erram via trade a few months ago.
And getting a guard early in the draft wouldn’t do much for the Elite, since they already have Mike Tolomia, Roi Sumang, Brian Heruela, and Paul Desiderio in their Rotation.
“Life is a gamble, so you have to take your chances. It’s not often that you see a six-foot-eight guy entering the draft. We feel that if he gets in the right condition, he could make big contributions sa Blackwater.
“Yes, he was in big consideration for us. We think if we get a small guy or a guard in the first round, it doesn’t change much ‘yung composition ng team,” he said.
Still amazed that he got picked second overall, Shaw looks to repay the team that took a gamble on him by filling in their needs. Despite coming in as a rookie, the 34-year-old Shaw looks to provide leadership for the young Elite.
On a side note, he simply feels happy that his family based here now has someone to look forward to.
“This is really amazing — I’m really blessed and amazed that I went so high. I’m happy for my family here that they have somebody to look forward to. I’m glad that they accepted me like their own now. It feels good. They got an older veteran and I got young stars. Hopefully, we can come together and do great things for Blackwater,” said Shaw.
“Not too much, but I already know pretty much what they want from me, and that’s to be aggressive, be a veteran, and go out there and be a monster out there.”
