Crucial meeting between coach Chot, Narvasa up as fate of Gilas PH roster hangs

Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes is in the middle of talks with PBA commissioner Chito Narvasa as they try to come up with a formula that would allow the country to field in its best players for the Fiba Asia Championship slated in August in Lebanon.

Their talk will be crucial as the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) will submit its 24-man pool to organizers Saturday. From that pool would come the final 12-man lineup, said team manager Butch Antonio.

Antonio also bared that there would be a lot of changes in the first 24-man pool that SBP and the PBA had come up with.

Filipino-German big man Christian Standhardinger, Kiefer Ravena and Kobe Paras are all being considered for inclusion in the pool, and that would mean that at least three from the original list will be dropped.

“The coaches are discussing (the list) and will come up with a lineup tomorrow (Saturday),” Antonio told the Inquirer.

Andray Blatche, Antonio said, would be included in the list as the former Brooklyn Net in the NBA would again be the naturalized player for Gilas 5.0.

The Asian Championship gets going from August 8 to 20 with China as the defending champion and the Filipinos trying to improve on two straight runner-up finishes.

Team Philippines has been drawn in what is considered the Group of Death, joining China, Iraq, Chinese Taipei and world power Australia in Group B.

The Aussies are making their debut in the Asian event together with New Zealand.

A conflict in the schedule with the PBA could prevent the league’s biggest stars from suiting up for Gilas in Lebanon, where the national team will prime up for the hectic qualifying tournament for the World Cup starting in November.