Is it merely coincidental that three of? Rain or Shine The most crucial drafts discovered over the past three years originated from the San Juan Knights ?
Or is there more to it?
If there are similarities between Jhonard Clarito, Adrian Nocum, and Mike Malonzo aside from being key contributors for Rain or Shine In the Philippine Cup, all three previously competed in the MPBL for San Juan before moving up to PBA.
Clarito, who is presently the most scorching performer in the PBA playoffs, used to be part of the previous team. San Juan The team clinched a national championship title in 2019 and concluded their MPBL career by making it to the national finals once more the subsequent year.
READ Guiao didn't even like Clarito the first time he saw him play
Nocum was already playing for San Juan in the MPBL even when he was still with the Mapua Cardinals in 2021. The flamboyant guard joined the Knights full-time in 2023, earning Rookie of the Year honors as well as an All-Star selection.
Malonzo, on the other hand, played for the San Juan Knights at the end of his stint with the NU Bulldogs before declaring for the PBA draft.
Curiously, all three ended up at the Rain or Shine camp over the next three seasons. All three were also mid-draft pick-ups by the Elasto Painters.
The 6-2 Clarito was selected in the second round of the Season 47 draft at 17th overall - the third Rain or Shine pick-up in that draft pool after former Ateneo standout Gian Mamuyac (fifth overall) and Shaun Ildefonso (No. 10).
Nocum was the last pick in the second round of the Season 48 draft. He was the fourth player selected by RoS in that draft pool after Keith Datu (No. 4 overall), Luis Villegas (No. 3) and Henry Galinato (No. 15), who was later traded to TNT.
Malonzo was drafted 16th overall the following year behind Rain or Shine pickups Caelan Tiongson (No. 7), Felix Pangilinan-Lemetti No. 8), and Francis Escandor (No. 13).
The three ex-Knights ultimately became outstanding middle-round treasures for Rain or Shine.
So is there some kind of tie-up between the two organizations?
RoS coach Yeng Guiao broke into a smile when asked about it, although he, too, was amazed that eerily similar career paths of Clarito, Nocum, and Malonzo took them to San Juan before reaching the Elasto Painters camp.
"Wala naman," Guiao laughed when asked about any San Juan connection for the Rain or Shine The organization says, even though Senator Jinggoy [Estrada] constantly emphasizes that all the former players from San Juan are truly skilled.
"It might be accurate," he said additionally.
COLUMN: ROS has a sharp eye for hidden treasures in the middle rounds, and it’s proving successful.
In fact, Rain or Shine’s strongest link to San Juan is through Guiao himself. The experienced mentor spent his formative years in the Greenhills district, where he was friends with Senator Estrada during their youth and also lived next door to Jong Uichico, the coach for NLEX, whom he recently defeated in the quarterfinals.
But as far any tie-up with the Knights is concerned, Guiao said there is none.
"Purely coincidence lang," he said.