As someone who's been following Philippine basketball for over a decade, I've seen countless prospects enter the PBA draft with varying degrees of hype and expectation. This season, one name that's been generating interesting conversations among basketball circles is Allyn Bulanadi. Now, I'll be honest - when I first heard the buzz around Bulanadi, I had to dig deeper to understand what makes this prospect particularly special in what appears to be a relatively deep draft class.
What immediately stands out about Bulanadi is his scoring versatility, something I've noticed PBA teams increasingly value in today's evolving game. Having watched numerous game tapes from his collegiate career, I'm convinced his offensive toolkit translates well to the professional level. He's not just a spot-up shooter - though his three-point percentage hovering around 38% in his final college season certainly catches the eye - but he's developed a respectable mid-range game and shows flashes of being able to create his own shot against tighter defenses. These are precisely the skills that could make him an immediate contributor rather than a long-term project.
The injury situation at TNT, which we've all been following with concern, creates an intriguing potential landing spot for Bulanadi. When Jayson Castro went down with that patellar tendon injury back in February during the Commissioner's Cup, it wasn't just the loss of a key player - it exposed the team's need for additional perimeter scoring and creation. From my perspective, watching how TNT has struggled to find consistent offensive production beyond their established stars makes me think Bulanadi could slide into a valuable role there. Teams don't just draft for talent alone - they draft for fit, and the fit with TNT's current needs seems almost too perfect to ignore.
What I particularly appreciate about Bulanadi's game is his basketball IQ. In my years of analyzing prospects, I've found that the players who understand spacing, defensive rotations, and when to pick their spots tend to adjust faster to the PBA's physicality. Bulanadi demonstrates this court awareness consistently. He doesn't force bad shots often, and his movement without the ball suggests he understands team concepts rather than just individual play. This might sound like a small thing, but trust me - coaches notice these details during workouts and interviews, and they can be the difference between being a lottery pick and sliding down the board.
There are legitimate concerns, of course. At 6'2", he's somewhat undersized for the wing position in the PBA, where imports and local stars tend to have significant size advantages. I've seen talented scorers struggle when they can't get their shots off against longer defenders. However, what encourages me is that Bulanadi has shown the ability to use his body well and create separation with crafty footwork rather than relying purely on athleticism. He'll need to continue developing his strength - particularly his core strength - to finish through contact at the professional level.
The draft combine numbers from last month revealed some interesting data points that support what I've observed. His lane agility time of 10.42 seconds placed him in the 85th percentile among wing prospects, while his standing vertical of 28 inches demonstrates adequate explosiveness. These metrics matter because they indicate he has the physical tools to compete defensively, which is often the biggest adjustment for offensive-minded college players. Defense in the PBA is a different beast entirely - the schemes are more complex, the scouting is more detailed, and the opponents are smarter about exploiting weaknesses.
Looking at potential team needs across the league, I could see at least four franchises where Bulanadi would represent good value in the first round. Beyond TNT, teams like NLEX and Phoenix could use his scoring punch off the bench initially, with the potential to develop into a starting role. The beauty of his situation is that he doesn't need to be the primary option immediately, which reduces the pressure and allows for proper development. Too many prospects get thrown into roles they're not ready for, and their development stalls as a result.
What might surprise some fans is Bulanadi's potential as a secondary playmaker. While he's primarily known as a scorer, I've noticed his assist numbers don't tell the full story. He makes the extra pass consistently and shows good vision when defenses collapse on his drives. This secondary creation ability is increasingly valuable in today's PBA, where teams need multiple ball handlers and decision-makers on the floor. It's this versatility that makes me believe he could have a longer career than some of the more one-dimensional scorers we've seen come through the draft in recent years.
The mental aspect of transitioning to professional basketball cannot be overstated, and this is where I think Bulanadi has an advantage. Having played under a disciplined system in college and dealing with the expectations that come with being a go-to scorer, he's already experienced the pressure that breaks some prospects. The PBA media scrutiny is another level entirely, but players who've been through competitive collegiate programs tend to handle it better. I'm told by sources close to the situation that his work ethic during pre-draft preparations has been impressive, with focused sessions on both his strengths and acknowledged weaknesses.
As draft night approaches, I'm projecting Bulanadi to land somewhere between picks 4 and 8, with TNT at 6 being a particularly logical fit given their current circumstances. His floor appears to be as a rotational scoring wing, while his ceiling - if he continues developing his defensive consistency and playmaking - could be as a starting two-guard who provides efficient scoring alongside a primary creator. The team that selects him will be getting not just a talented player, but someone who understands the nuances of team basketball. In a league where chemistry often separates the good teams from the great ones, that understanding might be his most valuable asset.
- Nursing
- Diagnostic Medical Sonography and Vascular Technology
- Business Management