Raymond Aguilar is such an unheralded player that the PBA website made a mistake in mentioning 2010 as the year he wasn’t picked in the draft when it should’ve been 2009. Aguilar, 32, was snubbed in the PBA draft out of NU and found a job with the Chang Thailand Slammers in 2012 but the ABL stop lasted only four games. He labored for years in the PBA D-League before TNT gave him a chance to suit up for the KaTropa in the 2014-15 Philippine Cup. Aguilar went scoreless in TNT’s 122-106 win over Barako in Biñan that conference and never played for the squad again.
TNT team manager Virgil Villavicencio said Aguilar was a one-time MVP candidate in the D-League before he was picked up by the KaTropa as a practice player later elevated to the regular lineup. From TNT, Aguilar made his way to Mahindra where he played two games in the Commissioner’s Cup and 10 in the Governors Cup in 2015-16. In 12 total outings with Mahindra, Aguilar scored in double figures only once, hitting 10 against Barangay Ginebra in the third conference.
Aguilar jumped to Blackwater to start the 2016-17 campaign and averaged 8.3 points in the Philippine Cup. He hit a career-high 16 points against Ginebra in a 99-90 Blackwater loss. During a four-game stretch, Aguilar averaged 12.8 points but the Elite won only once in that period. Aguilar wasn’t as productive in the Commissioner’s Cup, averaging 3.0 points and after scoring only nine points in five games in the Governors Cup, was traded to Ginebra with Art de la Cruz for Dave Marcelo and Chris Ellis. Aguilar wound up the season scoring four points in four contests with Ginebra. Overall, Aguilar averaged 4.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 10.9 minutes in 30 games, hitting a respectable 35.6 percent from beyond the arc.
* * *
For a big man standing about 6-7, Aguilar has a soft touch from the outside. That attribute probably caught Ginebra coach Tim Cone’s attention since in his system, a big who’s able to connect from mid-range or farther is a valuable asset. Besides, Cone might have noticed that Aguilar shot his career-high against Ginebra.
This season, Aguilar played in four of Ginebra’s first five games, scoring a total of eight points. It wasn’t easy for Aguilar to log too many minutes playing behind Greg Slaughter and Japeth Aguilar. But with Slaughter on the bench recovering from a hamstring strain, Cone started both Aguilars against San Miguel Beer at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last Sunday.
It was Raymond’s first start in a Ginebra uniform. He’d started once for Mahindra and thrice for Blackwater but it was a different vibe doing it for Ginebra. Cone assigned Raymond to shadow JuneMar Fajardo, preserving the celebrated other Aguilar to focus on scoring, defending and rebounding without bothering to shackle the Kraken. On the cross match-up, Fajardo took on Japeth, allowing Raymond the chance to unravel his offensive skills. Cone’s adjustment worked like a charm.
* * *
Raymond matched his career-high 16 points, knocked down two triples and finished with 7-of-14 field goals as Ginebra downed San Miguel, 100-96. Japeth had 23 points and nine rebounds. Both Aguilars had five personals apiece. While Fajardo still got away with 33 points, he was fagged out in the homestretch. Raymond took co-best player honors with L.A. Tenorio who broke out from a mini-slump to scatter a conference-high 23 points.
Raymond’s re-emergence delivers a strong message that there is hope for the underdog. His performance last Sunday was an inspiring reminder to aspiring pros that no matter the odds, anything is possible in sports.
Raymond is one of nine undrafted players now in PBA rosters. The others are Kia’s Roider Cabrera (2014), Mark Yee (2008) and Jackson Corpuz (2014), San Miguel Beer’s Chico Lanete (2006), Rain Or Shine’s Dexter Maiquez (2014), Phoenix’ Jam Cortes (2014), Magnolia’s Gryann Mendoza (2014) and NLEX’ Jonathan Uyloan (2009). Recently relegated to the unrestricted free agents list was Kia’s Philip Paniamogan, undrafted in 2014. Their presence in the PBA shows that with hard work, determination and heart, even undrafted players can make it to the big stage. It’s the same lesson in life where reaching for the stars is never an impossible dream.