Photo by Tristan Tamayo/ INQUIRER.net
Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes acknowledged how high the stakes are in the 2017 SEABA Championship from May 12 to 18.
“We have no room for error in this tournament,” he said.
Only the top team in the regional tiff will advance to the 2017 Fiba Asia Cup slated in August in Lebanon where the Philippines will vie for a slot in the 2019 Fiba World Cup in China.
Gilas opens its campaign on May 12 against Myanmar, before facing Singapore and Malaysia in the coming days. The national team will then take a break on May 15 before finishing its assignment against contenders Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia.
Though the Philippines is heavily favored in the tournament, Reyes doesn’t want to rest on his laurels knowing how the field has improved over the years.
“We’re looking at every one as serious competition for us. Coach Jong (Uichico), coach Josh (Reyes), and coach Jimmy (Alapag) have already went on scouting trips to Malaysia and Indonesia to give us a better knowledge on how our foes are preparing for the tournament,” he said.
Team manager Butch Antonio also added that the Philippines is leaving no stones unturned with Gilas set to welcome naturalized center Andray Blatche by the last week of April.
“We’re in touch with his handlers. Andray went home to the States and we’re trying to get him in last week of April to acclimatize him for the daily practices when we go full speed ahead,” he said.
Reyes shared that he will name his final lineup on April 28, the deadline for submission of the rosters. By that time, he believes he will already know who will be a great fit for the regional tourney.
“We don’t have a final 12 up until now,” he said. “Our minds are very open and we’re evaluating the players every practice and we’ll also evaluate their play in the All-Star series. After that, we will make that determination on the 28th.”