MANILA, Philippines – Falling to the third round of the 2018 PBA Rookie Draft was not a problem for former National University (NU) forward Matt Salem.

Instead, the sweet-shooting big man believes that this was a "blessing in disguise" for him, as he went to the most popular club in the league – Barangay Ginebra.

The Gin Kings didn't get to make a selection until the third round, and they promptly scooped up Salem with the last pick. He was roundly cheered by the fans at the Robinson's Place Manila on Sunday as he went up the stage to be greeted by Tim Cone and the Ginebra coaching staff, as well as some players.

"It was a blessing," Salem said afterward. "I'm glad, I'm happy, I'm blessed. Time to work from here."

According to Salem, he never put much stock in mock drafts and instead left everything up to God.

"God has everything in control and I just thank him. It's a blessing in disguise. It's amazing actually. I'm so happy right now," he added.

Salem knows that he will have to work harder than ever to earn a spot in Ginebra, given how loaded the team is in virtually every position. Indeed, the former NU forward understands that he will "start from rock bottom."

This, however, is a challenge that Salem welcomes with open arms.

"I'm going to learn their system, I'm going to do what I can, I'm going to get better and I'm going to work my way up like always. I'm a hard worker. I never quit," he said.

"I'm going to bring to the table what they want me to bring and get better from there," he added.

Along the way, he expects to learn plenty from Ginebra's plethora of veterans – from Mark Caguioa to LA Tenorio to Japeth Aguilar.

"I feel like my basketball IQ is just going to boom now, because it's amazing how many vets they have," Salem noted.

"Talking to those vets, studying what they do – this is a great opportunity for me to improve my overall game," he added.

Salem has established a reputation as a "stretch-four," and should he make their line-up, his ability to score from deep will help space the floor for Ginebra's frontline.

However, he vowed to show that he brings other skills to the table as well.

"I always have to improve everything on my all-around game. My shooting, I believe that I could be a lot more consistent with it," he explained. "I'm going to bring that in with them."

"I'm just going to work hard, work on my weaknesses that I have to get to what they have to play in their system. I'm just going to work hard, and that's what I promise. I'm not going to quit," Salem promised.

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