Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tab Baldwin. Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
AFTER almost three weeks of hell in Europe, Gilas Pilipinas coach Tab Baldwin will make the final two cuts today to come up with his “Fighting 12” that will try to win the Manila Olympic Qualifying Tournament next week.
“[Today] will be an ordinary day for 12 of you,” Baldwin was quoted by a TV5 reporter as telling the team in practice before the Nationals clash with Italy in a pocket tournament in Bologna.
“For two guys, it will be a bad day [as I have to] make an announcement on the team’s lineup.”
Baldwin took 14 hopefuls for a back-breaking nine-day camp in the Kapernisi mountains in Greece on June 10 and it has been nothing but work since then as the Philippines tries to come up with its best form for the July 5 to 10 event at Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
The game against Italy, which will be bannered by three NBA veterans, will be the final tryout for the squad.
“Play your hearts out tomorrow (Saturday) because tomorrow will be a factor,” Baldwin said. “I just wanted you all to be aware of that. I also want you to know that it will be a bad day for me.
“It will be a especially bad day because two guys who do not deserve to be dropped will be dropped.”
Among those expected to make the cut include naturalized center Andray Blatche, Jason Castro, Calvin Abueva, Marc Pingris, Gabe Norwood and June Mar Fajardo.
TV5, basketball godfather Manny V. Pangilinan’s outfit, has made “the announcement” a big event and will air it live at around 6 p.m. today.
Baldwin will only play his final roster in the game against either Canada or China on Sunday, also at The Paladazzo.
Gilas lost its first international game in the leadup to the OQT, 103-68, at the hands of the Turkish National team in Istanbul last week.
The Filipinos and Turkey mix it up one more time on July 1 at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.