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In 2005 the Philippine Basketball Association was in transition. The league trimmed its annual rookie draft to two rounds (18 picks) to align with a new season calendar. The 2004–05 Fiesta Conference (completed just before the draft) was won by the San Miguel Beermen (with Talk ‘N Text as runner-up), and was the final appearance of the Shell Turbo Chargers before their franchise rights were sold (to Welcoat). Traditional powers like San Miguel and Barangay Ginebra were dominant, while teams like Sta. Lucia, Coca-Cola (Tigers), and Air21 (FedEx Express) were looking to infuse new talent from the draft. According to contemporary reporting, analysts expected players like Jay Washington, Mark Cardona, Alex Cabagnot, Denok Miranda, Jondan Salvador and others to go near the top of the draft. In hindsight, however, the true value of each prospect depended heavily on their subsequent careers.
Top Prospects (2005 Hype) vs. Career Outcomes
Key players from the 2005 draft class had widely varying careers. The most decorated careers belonged to those originally taken outside the first few picks:
Draft Order. Team: Player Name (Real Life Draft Position)
#1. AIR21: Alex Cabagnot (Sta. Lucia draftee, Pick #2): Cabagnot became a veteran floor general and ultimately a 9-time PBA champion, winning titles across multiple teams. He also earned the 2017 PBA Commissioner's Cup Finals MVP and was a perennial All-Star.
#2. STA. LUCIA: Larry Fonacier (Red Bull draftee, Pick #14): A hard-nosed shooting guard, Fonacier won 7 PBA championships (with Red Bull/Alaska/TNT) and was the 2011–12 Philippine Cup Finals MVP. He was Rookie of the Year in 2006 and a 3-time All-Star.
#4. PUREFOODS: Mark Cardona (Air21 draftee, Pick #5): Cardona became a high-scoring guard for Talk ’N Text and Meralco. He won 2 PBA championships (including the 2008–09 Philippine Cup with TNT, where he was Finals MVP) and was the 2008 scoring champion. He also won a Fiesta Cup Best Player award in 2007.
#5. AIR21: Denok Miranda (Coca-Cola draftee, Pick #3): A gritty guard, Miranda won 2 PBA titles (2008 Philippine and 2011 Governors’ Cups) and made the All-Rookie Team in 2006. He later became a college coach.
#6. AIR21: Jondan Salvador (Purefoods draftee, Pick #4): A 6′4″ forward known for his athleticism, Salvador won 2 PBA titles (2006 and 2010 Philippine Cups), though he never became a star player.
#7. GINEBRA: Leo Najorda (Red Bull draftee, Pick #9): Najorda was a role-playing wing who also won 2 PBA titles (2006 Fiesta and 2013 Governors’ Cups) and made the All-Rookie Team.
#8. SAN MIGUEL: Paolo Hubalde (San Miguel draftee, Pick #8): Hubalde carved out a long career as a backup guard. He contributed to Petron’s 2011 Governors’ Cup championship but had no major individual awards.
#9. RED BULL: Mark Macapagal (Talk ’N Text draftee, Pick #18): A sharpshooter, Macapagal won 1 PBA title (2006–07 Philippine Cup) with Ginebra and was a 4-time three-point shootout champion, though he was never a league star.
Michael Holper (Ginebra draftee, Pick #7): Holper’s career was brief; he won one title (2006–07 Philippine with Ginebra) but saw very limited action before leaving the league.
These outcomes show that some original late picks (especially Fonacier and Macapagal) outperformed earlier selections, while a few high picks (like Holper) underperformed. The 2005 hype list only partially foretold these results. In a re-draft based 60% on entire career performance and 30% on 2005 potential/projected ceiling, the ranking shifts considerably.
Related Article: 2027 PBA Draft Hot Take: A New Contender for the #1 pick has arrived!
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