How Amores Could Transform the PBA Draft With His Unique Playing Style

I remember watching the 2023 PBA draft like it was yesterday, sitting there with my buddies and debating which teams made the smartest picks. When Converge selected Santos at No. 14 overall in the second round, I'll admit I was among those who thought, "Well, that's a decent pick." But watching him develop through Season 48 completely changed my perspective. At 6-foot-5, he doesn't just bring height to the game - he brings something much rarer in Philippine basketball: a truly unique playing style that could seriously shake up how teams approach future drafts.

What makes Santos different isn't just his measurements, though being 6-foot-5 certainly helps. It's how he moves on the court that fascinates me. I've seen plenty of tall players come through the PBA, but most of them play like traditional big men - posting up, grabbing rebounds, blocking shots. Santos does all that, sure, but he also handles the ball like a guard sometimes, and his court vision is something you'd expect from someone who's been playing point guard their whole life. I remember this one game against Ginebra where he grabbed a defensive rebound, dribbled the length of the court himself, and made a perfect bounce pass through traffic for an easy layup. Plays like that make me think we're watching a new breed of Filipino basketball player emerge right before our eyes.

The traditional PBA draft approach has always prioritized either pure scorers or traditional big men in the early picks. Teams typically go for the safe choices - players who fit neatly into established roles. But Santos represents what I believe is the future: positionless basketball players who can do multiple things well. If more teams start looking for players like him, we could see a complete transformation in draft strategy. Instead of asking "Is he a power forward or center?" scouts might start asking "How many different ways can this player impact the game?" That shift in thinking could open doors for so many talented players who don't fit the conventional mold.

Here's what really excites me about this development - it could make the PBA more unpredictable and entertaining. When every team has players who can play multiple positions, the game becomes less about set plays and more about fluid, creative basketball. I've noticed that Converge's games have become must-watch television precisely because you never know what Santos might do next. He might score 15 points one game, then focus on playmaking and get 8 assists the next, all while pulling down 10 rebounds consistently. That kind of versatility forces other teams to adjust their entire defensive scheme, not just for one game but for the whole season.

Looking ahead to future drafts, I genuinely hope more teams take a chance on unconventional players. The success of Santos proves that sometimes the best value picks aren't the obvious ones. While everyone was focused on the flashy first-round selections, Converge found their gem at No. 14 overall - a pick that could end up being the steal of the 2023 draft. If I were a PBA general manager, I'd be telling my scouts to stop looking for players who fit specific positions and start looking for basketball players, period. The game is evolving before our eyes, and drafts need to evolve with it. Santos might just be the beginning of a revolution in how Philippine basketball teams are built.