Baldwin hopes Lassiter gets better in time for overseas training

Marcio Lassiter still out with bronchitis.

With Marcio Lassiter still missing Gilas Pilipinas practices due to bronchitis, coach Tab Baldwin admitted that he’s starting to worry about the offensive firepower the team will bring for the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament in July.

“Yes, I’m worried with all of our two-guards having physical problems right now. But none of them is so serious that we don’t think that they won’t be there in the end,” he said on Thursday at Meralco Gym.

Lassiter has been out of the practice sessions since last week, and the American-Kiwi mentor expressed doubts of the sniper being cleared before the team leaves for Greece on June 10.

“I don’t know if we’ll get him back before we leave for Greece. Our hope right now is at least to get him on the plane and hopefully have him for a day or two before. But he’s not well so we’ll pray for him. He’s getting all the medical care he needs and we wish he will get healthy as soon as possible,” said Baldwin.

Aside from Lassiter, Jeff Chan (groin) and Ryan Reyes (achilles) are playing hurt though both are still participating in the daily practice sessions.

Baldwin’s concerns is rooted in getting these perimeter players comfortable with the rest of the team.

“It’s integration, chemistry, getting enough practice time to be comfortable and fluid with what we’re doing,” he said. “But then you look at the way Calvin (Abueva) shot the ball today, he shot it tremendously and he’s been shooting the ball consistently for us. Ray (Parks) is doing a good job shooting the ball. And we know that our guards, Terrence (Romeo) and Jayson (Castro), you know they can shoot the ball. Dray (Blatche) is doing some extra work after practice on his perimeter shot.”

“We have to find ways to make perimeter shots because I don’t think we’re going to be a powerful inside team. We’re still going to be perimeter-oriented and transition-oriented team.”