MANILA, Philippines—Gilas Pilipinas will finally have everyone on board when it resumes practice on Monday.
Head coach Yeng Guiao said San Miguel Beer’s June Mar Fajardo and TNT’s Troy Rosario and Roger Pogoy will rejoin the team on Monday after wrapping up their stint in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup won by the Beermen in six games.
“On Monday, we expect everybody to be here including Roger, Troy and June Mar. So for the first time in a long time, that’s the time we’ll be a hundred percent in practice,” Guiao, who gave his wards a day off on Sunday, said after wrapping up training on Saturday.
Guiao thinks the three won’t have a hard time in reincorporating themselves back in the system and as far as conditioning is concerned. One potential issue, however, could be fatigue.
“I’m sure they have no problems with fitness. Actually, they just need to get some rest to recover after an exhausting finals, but fitness-wise, once they recover, they’ll be good to go,” he said.
With only two weeks away from the Fiba World Cup, Guiao said the team is around “70 to 75 percent” but it will only get better once Fajardo and Co. arrives.
After a training camp in Spain where they split their two games in a pocket tournament, the Filipinos will test their mettle in a pair of closed-door scrimmages against a visiting Australian club team in the Adelaide 36ers on August 23 and 25.