Photo by: Tristan Tamayo/Inquirer.net
TAIPEI – Chot Reyes will wait until the literal final hours of the July 25 deadline before submitting his “Fighting 12” for the Fiba Asia Championship for fear of disrupting what little chemistry this Gilas Pilipinas team playing in the Jones Cup has achieved.
But, by using the simple process of elimination, basketball fans back home could figure out, more or less, the composition of the team that will try to win the Asian title for the first time since 1973.
“Yes, more or less,” Reyes said late Tuesday night after team dinner where his squad watched Chinese Taipei A upset Canada, 89-86, which put Gilas back in the title hunt here.
He was asked if he already has an idea on who to bring to Beirut in Lebanon for the August 8-20 showcase where the Philippines will be grouped with China, Qatar and Iraq in the classification phase.
“But it would not be right to announce it now, with this (Jones Cup) tournament going on,” he said. Gilas planes back home in the early afternoon of July 24.
Reyes had submitted a 24-man pool for the Fiba Asia that includes naturalized player Andray Blatche, and if the names playing in the Southeast Asian Games are put into consideration, most of those going to Beirut will come from the list of PBA veterans.
The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas had named Baser Amer, Mike Tolomia, Vin Pessumal, Kevin Ferrer, Carl Cruz, Almond Vosotros and Troy Rosario together with amateurs Bobby Ray Parks, Kobe Paras, Raymar Jose and Kiefer Ravena.
Energetic Fil-German Christian Standhardinger will be the 12th man for the team seeking to defend the gold medal in Kuala Lumpur.
June Mar Fajardo, Terrence Romeo, Japeth Aguilar, Allein Maliksi, Raymond Almazan, Jason Castro, Kevin Alas, Norbert Torres, Gabe Norwood, RR Pogoy, Jio Jalalon, Mac Belo, Matthew Wright and Calvin Abueva are then left, and Reyes would just have to drop three names from there.
Blatche has been the Philippines’ naturalized player since the World Cup in Seville, Spain, in 2014 and in case his camp doesn’t come to terms with the SBP this time, Reyes made it clear that the replacement would be Standhardinger.
Born to a Filipino mother, Standhardinger will not be eligible to play for the Philippines in Fiba-run events as a natural born Filipino because he failed to obtain a Philippine passport before he turned 16.