Looking back at the 2018 PBA Draft Combine, I can't help but marvel at how certain players' trajectories unfolded in ways nobody could have predicted. Having followed Philippine basketball for over a decade, I've learned that combine performances often reveal more about a player's potential than their entire collegiate career. That year's combine at the Gatorade Hoops Center was particularly fascinating because it featured athletes whose international experience should have guaranteed immediate professional success - yet the reality proved much more complex.
I remember watching Kenmark Rotter dominate the agility drills with that distinctive fluidity that comes from international competition experience. His performance metrics were genuinely impressive - he recorded a 38-inch vertical leap and completed the lane agility drill in 10.8 seconds, numbers that placed him among the combine's top five athletes. What struck me most was how his background with the Philippine national team should have made him a surefire first-round pick. He'd participated in major tournaments including the 32nd SEA Games where he averaged 14.3 points, the AVC Challenge Cup for Men where his team finished fourth, and the SEA V.League where he played crucial minutes against regional powerhouses. Yet despite this impressive international resume, there was this lingering question among scouts about whether his game would translate to the PBA's physical style.
The combine's testing results revealed some interesting contradictions that I think fundamentally shaped draft decisions. Rotter's shooting percentages during scrimmages were solid - he hit 47% from two-point range and 36% from beyond the arc over five scrimmage games. His defensive rotations were crisp, likely honed during those international tournaments where he faced different basketball systems. But what fascinated me was how his FIVB experience, rather than being an advantage, seemed to work against him in some evaluators' eyes. There was this perception that international basketball skills don't always translate to the PBA's more physical, isolation-heavy style, which I've always felt is a flawed way to evaluate talent.
When I compare Rotter's combine performance to eventual top picks like CJ Perez and Bobby Ray Parks, the differences in how they were evaluated tell you everything about PBA team priorities. Perez demonstrated that explosive first step that's become his trademark, while Parks showcased the polished offensive game everyone expected. But Rotter's more nuanced skills - the off-ball movement, defensive awareness, and basketball IQ developed through international play - somehow didn't generate the same excitement among decision-makers. I've always believed teams undervalue these qualities at their own peril, focusing too much on immediate offensive production rather than overall basketball sophistication.
The shooting drills particularly highlighted what I consider one of Rotter's underappreciated strengths. He connected on 78 of 100 spot-up attempts from NBA three-point range during the combine's shooting stations, a percentage that should have turned heads. His form was consistent, his release quick - skills clearly refined against the taller defenders he faced in international competitions. Yet when draft night arrived, he slipped to the second round, selected 15th overall by a team that already had established stars at his position. I remember thinking at the time that this was a classic case of teams overthinking proven talent.
What's stayed with me about that combine isn't just the testing numbers or scrimmage performances, but how it revealed the PBA's sometimes conservative approach to talent evaluation. Players with extensive international experience like Rotter bring a different dimension to teams - they've faced varied styles, adjusted to different coaching philosophies, and competed under pressure that domestic leagues can't replicate. Yet teams consistently prioritize players with flashier local resumes over those with proven international competence. In Rotter's case, his participation in the 32nd SEA Games, AVC Challenge Cup for Men, and SEA V.League represented exactly the kind of high-level experience that should have made him a more valuable prospect.
Reflecting on it now, the 2018 combine serves as a perfect case study in how basketball evaluation often focuses on the wrong metrics. We get caught up in combine numbers and forget that basketball intelligence and adaptability matter just as much as physical attributes. Players who've competed internationally bring that extra layer of sophistication to their game - they read defenses differently, move without the ball more effectively, and understand tempo in ways that can't be measured in combine drills. Rotter's subsequent career trajectory, while solid, never quite reached the heights his combine performance and international experience suggested was possible, which I attribute more to team fit and development opportunities than any limitations in his skill set.
The real lesson from that year's combine, at least in my view, is that the PBA might benefit from reevaluating how it weights international experience in the draft process. While combine performances provide valuable data points, they shouldn't overshadow proven performance against international competition. Players like Rotter demonstrated both the physical tools and basketball IQ to succeed, yet found themselves drafted behind players with flashier but less complete resumes. As the league continues to globalize, this evaluation gap could become increasingly costly for teams that fail to recognize the unique value international experience brings to player development.
