Gilas 2015 is not weak at all

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

WE watched how our national basketball squad called “Gilas” composed of all professional dribblers from PBA landed second in the prestigious annual international tourney the 37th William Jones Cup. We were defeated twice in the nine-nation tourney succumbing to the taller, heftier and Asian champion Iran, 74-69 and former Asian Games titlist South Korea, 82-70. (Asia’s other continental giants like China, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Qatar, Kuwait, Japan and Jordan did not send any contingent).

Unexpectedly Gilas thwarted the taller Russians, Kiwis (New Zealand) and the Americans. Russia and U.S. did not send their nationals but just club squads while PH, Iran, South Korea and Taipei sent their best in preparation for their 2015 FIBA Asia stint to be held in Changsha, China on September 23 – October 3 where the champion will fill the lone slot to the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.

I guess besides the Chinese, Lebanon, South Korea, Jordan, Qatar and Kazakhstan will be the big headaches for Gilas in Hunan. The middle-eastern nations I heard are training hard in America and Europe.

Filipino-naturalized dribbler Andray Blatche is now back with the Gilas after attending the interment of his uncle in the United States. He only got less than two weeks to lose his fat and get his adrenals back to operational. He has to be in superb form, physically and mentally, just as he was during the FIBA World Cup in Spain last year where he fought against the world’s best and strongest teams.

Yes, I believe we have a big chance to stop the continental giants like Iran, China and South Kore with Blatche and the Lakers’ Fil-Am cager Jordan Clarkson in the PH roster. But unfortunately latest report is that the six-foot-five point-guard Clarkson’s chance to play for Gilas is running out of time. The guy whom I admire because of his Philippine patriotism is so eager to don the PH jersey and has said that he would like to be a part of the National Five until 2024 Olympics, his last event with the PH team. I doff my hat to him. He really loves Philippines unlike some Fil-Ams who despise their parents’ home. Reports have it that Los Angeles Lakers head coach Byron Scott has the final say on Clarkson. “It’s in suspended animation,” said Gilas head coach Tab Baldwin. “We don’t know anything. Maybe the Lakers’ coaches are under instruction, and maybe it’s the coaches’ decision,” Baldwin clarified.    

Local basketball experts say that if this twosome is in the PH roster, we have a very big chance to nail the lone 2016 Rio Olympic berth in China. I agree. Hopefully it will be so.

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I was not at the September 4 UCAAP games where I heard that a near melee erupted during the UPang Flames and PCST Topnotch tussle. Because of the incident, two players of Topnotch and one from the Flames were suspended for one game for provoking a fight. League commissioner PJ Samson showed me the footage of the incident. I saw how the two NABRO referees Abet Rodriguez and Wally Diolaso quickly pacified the three players that were it not for them and their coaches, that game would have turned into a basketbrawl match. Cooler heads prevailed eventually but the sanctions against the erring players must be enforced. It’s a fair verdict by Samson and let’s hope that it will not happen again.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: And Jesus Christ said “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” MATTHEW 6: 6

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