TRAPPED AND TALENTED | SHAUN ILDEFONSO

Dave Ildefonso is playing well in the MPBL. In some ways, he's clearly above the competition, especially considering that the KBL was once one of his stomping grounds.

The same can’t be said for Shaun Ildefonso.

I guess one reason Dave chose the Abra Weavers over the NorthPort Batang Pier is because he values having more freedom with his career. Maybe he doesn’t want to play for a team that gives him a multitude of opportunities, only to get vacuumed into a souped-up SMC squad that would slowly diminish his star status. It’s either that, or waste his career playing for a team that will never amount to anything because of its constant roster changes.

There are two sides to a PBA career—you either land a massive paycheck and win championships despite limited playing time, or you play wherever your talent takes you, even if it means suiting up for a struggling squad. You can either be like Ronald Tubid or Gary David.

Either way, I doubt either path leads you to the PBA’s 60 Greatest Players list.

As for Shaun Ildefonso, he seems stuck in basketball purgatory. Under Yeng Guiao and the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, he’s slowly losing his place in the rotation, thanks to a wave of overachieving second-rounders, many of whom are the same age as him.

And that’s the thing about Yeng Guiao. He thrives on giving opportunities to virtual unknowns who claw their way into relevance, while often doubling down on former stars or second-generation players. For every Adrian Nocum or Jhonard Clarito, there’s a Shaun Ildefonso, Jeric Teng, or Carlo Lastimosa. He once chose Carlo Sharma over Enrico Villanueva—and years later, Raul Soyud over Asi Taulava.

To be fair, Guiao’s teams tend to thrive in these scenarios. He follows a no-superstar policy and doesn’t give a damn about who a player’s daddy is. For him, players like Danny Ildefonso made it because they earned their stripes. And it’s not like this is just a PBA thing. In the NBA, the current poster boy for this kind of scrutiny is Bronny James. Yes, Bronny is doing well in the G-League, but he can’t escape the fact that his dad is arguably one of the greatest players in NBA history. The same can be said for Patrick Ewing Jr., Glen Rice Jr., David Stockton, Luke Walton, Shareef O’Neal, and Zaire Wade.

In the PBA, Dodot Jaworski is unfortunately the all-time league poster boy of this.

The problem with the Ildefonso brothers is that their playing styles are far removed from that of their two-time MVP father. Danny Ildefonso had size, range, and while he was never known as a high-volume scorer, he always found ways to fill up the stat sheet.

Shaun Ildefonso is a strong, physical player who could’ve been a superstar if he were just two or three inches taller. Unlike his dad, who was a certified big man, Shaun plays the small forward position. I don't think most of his position-mates can muscle him out when he posts up, but that also means they'll likely rely on speed and quickness—traits that aren’t exactly his strengths. Yes, he shows flashes of brilliance and plays above-average defense, but Rain or Shine already has other players with a similar archetype—and in some cases, even more to offer. At the end of the day, it also depends on whether the coach chooses to use you consistently. Since entering the league in 2022, he’s been overtaken by the likes of Clarito, Nocum, Caelan Tiongson, Felix Lemetti, and Mike Malonzo.

And now, with the signing of former CYG player Kris Porter, what are the chances he gets another real opportunity?

Maybe it's time for Shaun to test free agency once his current deal expires.

Blackwater is one team that could use his services—they’re basically the Alaska team from a season before the franchise transitioned to Converge. There’s a real chance he could fight for a role there. The same goes for Phoenix. Honestly, any borderline playoff team could offer him a fresh start.

There’s a strong possibility that the current Rain or Shine squad could replicate the success of the old Red Bull team, which thrived with a core of talented youngsters like Enrico Villanueva, Lordy Tugade, and Junthy Valenzuela. Or maybe they’ll recreate the old ROS squad with Gabe Norwood, JR Quiñahan, Beau Belga, Jeff Chan, and Paul Lee.

I just don’t know if Shaun Ildefonso will be a part of that.