Gilas rookies CJ Perez and Robert Bolick. photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—The injuries made it easy for Gilas Pilipinas head coach Yeng Guiao to come up with his final 12-man lineup for the 2019 Fiba World Cup in China.
But that doesn’t mean the players who made the cut had a free pass—especially young guns CJ Perez and Robert Bolick.
Contrary to popular belief, Perez and Bolick earned their stripes on the national team. In fact, the two had already secured their spots long before Poy Erram and Matthew Wright went down.
“Everybody is deserving including the rookies. The rookies as you know played well. But in the games you have not seen, they also played well,” said Guiao during the PSA Forum Tuesday at Amelie Hotel Manila.
“The mere fact that they’ve been able to adjust their game from the PBA to the world class level in a short time says a lot about these two guys. In a short time, they were able to upgrade their style and game and I have no doubt that they will do well in the World Cup,” he added.
Guiao said Perez and Bolick’s showing in the team’s training camp in Spain where they played Congo twice and Ivory Coast in pre-World Cup scrimmages practically booked them tickets to China.
“The two rookies, in Spain they already made a good account of themselves. Among the coaching staff we were already thinking that these two guys have the chance to make the team,” Guiao said.
“Before it was one or the other but after Spain we were already looking at the possibility of having those two guys there. We already saw the potential of them making the final 12 when we were in Spain.”