“Balti” is the top pick of the PBA Draft. PBA Images

 

MAKATI–To the surprise of probably a few, Justine Baltazar and Sedrick Barefield were the first two picks of the PBA Draft as the proceedings went underway on Sunday at the Glorietta Activity Center.

Converge took Baltazar, a six-foot-seven power forward, as the first overall pick, while Barefield, a six-foot-two combo guard, went to Blackwater as the second pick.

The “mock-buster” began with the third pick after Ginebra chose RJ Abarrientos.

The Gin Kings moved up in the draft order after agreeing on a pick swap with the Terrafirma Dyip as part of the blockbuster Christian Standhardinger-Stephen Holt trade.

Phoenix nabbed high-flying forward Kai Ballungay as the fourth pick, while NorthPort selected Dave Ildefonso with the fifth pick.

Jonnel Policarpio went to NLEX with the sixth pick, while Caelan Tiongson ended up with Rain Or Shine with the seventh pick.

The Elasto Painters then pulled off their own surprise by taking Felix Lemetti as their other first-round pick, the eighth overall pick.

Magnolia dropped its own surprise by selecting Jerom Lastimosa ninth overall, while Mark Nonoy went to Terrafirma with the 10th pick.

CJ Cansino was selected 11th overall by Meralco, while San Miguel capped the first round by drafting Avan Nava 12th overall.