NO MATTER how much coach Bonnie Tan wants him, there is little chance of Fran Yu being able to play for NorthPort in the PBA's regular season.
According to Tan, his team's priority in the coming draft is to use its two first round picks to get the big men his team sorely needs to shore up its frontcourt.
"Bigs ang hinahanap ng team kaya iyun ang talagang tinitingan namin," said Tan, whose Batang Pier own the rights to the Nos. 5 and 11 picks overall.
"Masyado kasing lumiit ang team nu'ng mawala si (Greg) Slaughter at Troy Rike kaya forced kaming kumuha talaga ng mga natural centers," added Tan. "Of course, nandiyan na sina (Prince) Caperal at Christian (Balagasay) pero kulang pa dahil si JM (Calma) more of a forward talaga."
Tan said such a void has to be promptly filled up during the Sept. 17 draft and decided on by NorthPort's management and staff long before the ongoing PBA On Tour which has Yu among the collegiate stars making waves.
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That also means Yu, a vital cog in the Tan-mentored Letran Knights' recent three-peat feat in the NCAA who has laid bare his intention of joining the draft, would probably land in another team.
"Si Fran, kung walang kukuha, baka ma-draft natin sa third round," added Tan. "Kasi we don't have any second round pick."
Aside from their relationship forged in Letran, Tan has another reason for wanting Yu to be with NorthPort in the PBA's regular season starting mid-October.
"Hindi lang si Berto (Bolick) ang nawala sa amin kundi pati si Roi (Sumang) kaya butas din kami sa point guard," Tan pointed out. "Sina (Paul) Zamar, Joshua Munzon, mga combo guards talaga mga iyon so kailangan din sana namin si Fran."
Such a scenario is too far-fetched since Yu has generated quite an interest among the other teams looking to beef up their own backcourt after averaging 9.6 points and 3.4 assists in the five On Tour games he has seen action in and even going 6-of-10 from deep in a won game against Barangay Ginebra.
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Tan is simply glad he has done his share in helping Yu progress in his basketball journey. "Ang gusto lang naman natin makatulong tayo sa ibang players natin sa college na papa-draft na sa PBA. At least kahit hindi sa iyo mag-land kahit papaano nakatulong sa bata," he said.
"'Yung Fran Yu alam nating kailangan dahil kailangan nating punuan yung nabakante nila Berto at Roi," added Tan. "Pero ganoon talaga." (NC)
