Asi gladly takes lead role

GUANGZHOU—Father Time, it seems, hasn’t caught up with man-mountain Asi Taulava. At 37, the hulking 6-foot-9 veteran center has remained a strong force under the rim at the 16th Asian Games here.
“He has no choice,” said Smart Gilas Pilipinas assistant coach Chot Reyes. “He has to play a lot of minutes.” Reyes said that the absence of Marcus Douthit has forced the coaching staff to make Taulava a primary option in the shaded area. Douthit’s application for naturalization had been approved by both houses of Congress but the 6-10 former NBA draftee missed the Asiad deadline for his inclusion in the team. “Asi was supposed to be a backup,” said Reyes. “Now, he’s the main man.” Aside from taking the lead center’s role, the pivotman of PBA’s Meralco Bolts also acts as model to apprentice 7-footer Greg Slaughter. “He (Taulava) made it a point to have Greg as roommate,” said Reyes. “He’s a positive influence to his teammates, especially Greg.” As a result, Slaughter came out of his shell in a winning effort against Qatar, posting 12 points, five rebounds and two blocks —figures he doesn’t usually churn out. “I love playing for the national team,” said Taulava. “You always have to be at your best.” True enough, Taulava has been summoning the warrior in him. He did most of the dirty job inside to score 10 points and grab eight rebounds against the taller and brawny Qataris as Smart Gilas (1-1) recovered lost ground after a humbling defeat to Iran. “I told Asi that he’s our lone inside presence, but he wasn’t in the flow,” said Reyes, referring to Taulava’s sub-par performance against Iran. “He took it hard and in the next game, he came out very aggressive.”