Chot expects Clarkson, Sotto to join Gilas in China

Justin Brownlee is set to flfly in after completing health protocols in the United States. —FIBA.COM

The Philippines’ preparations for the Fiba (International Basketball Federation) World Cup kick into high gear on Independence Day when Gilas Pilipinas gets back to daily practices at Meralco Gym in Pasig City.

National coach Chot Reyes shared the development with the Inquirer on Sunday morning, just four days removed from the national team and its brain trust’s first meeting since recapturing the gold in the Southeast Asian Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

“We practice at Meralco [Gym] from June 12 to [15 then move to Inspire [Sports Academy in Laguna province] June 17 to 20 before leaving for Estonia on June 22,” he said.

A string of tuneup games has been lined up for the Nationals for the initial leg of their final buildup geared toward the global showcase set here, in Japan and Indonesia beginning Aug. 25.

Among those matches are friendlies against the national teams of Estonia, Finland and Latvia. Reyes added that Gilas will be heading for Lithuania on July 1 where his charges are going to play local pro clubs.

Jordan Clarkson and Kai Sotto, easily two of the biggest names in Gilas’ 21-man pool tapped for the World Cup, will be missing this leg of the preparations as they are set to figure in a critical juncture of their careers.

Clarkson, whose mother is Filipino but can only suit up for the Philippines as a naturalized player, is up for either negotiating a new contract with the Utah Jazz or exploring a new deal elsewhere.

Looking at Edu

Sotto, meanwhile, is trying to resuscitate his dream of becoming the first homegrown player to crack the NBA by way of the Summer League in Las Vegas which runs from July 10 through 17.

Reyes said that Gilas management “knew from the start that both Kai and JC won’t be joining us there,” which should allow the team’s brain trust to take a closer look at the likes of AJ Edu, Japeth Aguilar and June Mar Fajardo.

Unlike the 20 other names Reyes named as candidates, Edu has yet to play under him and a staff that includes decorated coaches Tim Cone and Jong Uichico.

Aguilar and Fajardo, program fixtures who have seen action in two World Cups, will be coming back from varying injuries that have kept them in the freezer for months.

Cone, in a separate chat with the Inquirer, said that his high-leaping Ginebra forward is “ready to fully practice this week,” while adding that Justin Brownlee should be “arriving any day now,” after being under health and safety protocols in the United States.

Brownlee, who has been huge for the program since debuting in the sixth and final window of the Asian Qualifiers, joins Ange Kouame as Gilas’ other candidates for the naturalized player spot that is currently held by Clarkson.

Reyes said that a US camp has been put on the back burner. Gilas, however, will figure in a pocket tournament in China in early August where it takes on the likes of Iran, Lebanon and Senegal.

Barring any complications, Sotto should be available to join Gilas’ buildup just before it planes to China; and so is Clarkson, whom the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas said is committed to joining the preparations at least six weeks just before the World Cup.

The Philippines is drawn with the Dominican Republic, Angola and World No. 10 Italy in Group A play of the global meet. Gilas has battled against all three nations in the last five years and lost all of those duels.

Reyes has since said that the goal is to become the best performing Asian team as doing so would mean outright entry to the Summer Olympic Games, which the Philippines has not been able to reach since 1972, when the showcase was held in Munich, West Germany. INQ