FOR Jessie Saitanan, patience has paid off.
Toiling as a mere practice player then further working on his game in the MPBL, the Mapua product has cracked the majors once again, having been signed by the Magnolia Hotshots.
Saitanan and rookie draftee Aris Dionisio are two newcomers for the Hotshots once the coronavirus pandemic is over and when the PBA board of governors gives the green light for Season 45 to resume.
Saitanan is a member of the 2016 PBA Draft Class with brief stints with the NorthPort Batang Pier in the 2016-17 campaign and with the TNT KaTropa in the 2017-18 wars.
"Practice player namin si Jessie before he asked permission to play in the MPBL," said Magnolia coach Chito Victolero.
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Before drifting back to the minors, he latched with the Batang Pier and the KaTropa, but he's good for only cameo roles, seeing miniscule minutes in eight games.
But he had done his part to give Rafi Reavis and Marc Pingris good workouts in practice sessions. He's now to get his chance to show his worth as a regular Magnolia player.
Like Dionisio, Saitanan will play behind Reavis, Pingris and 2019 trade recruit Jackson Corpuz
Saitanan was the Meralco Bolts' third-round draft choice in 2016 coming from his PBA D-League stint with the Bread Story Smashing Bakers.
Dionisio, meanwhile, was the No. 14 pick overall in the recent draft exercise.
Among the teams not given the rights to pick in the special Gilas draft, the Magnolia Hotshots turned to Dionisio for their first-round choice behind Columbian Dyip's Roosevelt Adams, Blackwater's Maurice Shaw, NLEX's Mike Ayonayon, Alaska's Barkley Ebona, Rain or Shine's Adrian Wong, two other ROS picks in Clint Doliguez and Prince Rivero and NorthPort's Sean Manganti. (SB)
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