While waiting for Kai Sotto to play, Gilas rips Magnolia in friendly
Jordan Clarkson and Kai Sotto (No. 11) will be pursuing NBA contracts just when the Philippine Team starts preparations for the World Cup. FIBA.COM
Gilas Pilipinas whipped Magnolia in a tune-up game on Friday as expected with the naturalized player-less Nationals earning praise from someone who has seen his share of international battles before.
“They’re running great,” Hotshots veteran Mark Barroca said of the Nationals, who scored a 93-77 blowout in the closed-door contest at Meralco Gym in Pasig City. “They have pace, and they are speedy.
“And that’s what we need because that’s the only thing that will give us the edge on the international stage,” added the grizzled playmaker, who was a member of the 2019 Gilas squad that saw action in the previous World Cup in Foshan, China.
With Justin Brownlee and Ange Kouame officially staying clear of the naturalized player’s spot soon to be filled by NBA star Jordan Clarkson, Gilas went all-Filipino against the Hotshots, who have been nothing short of perfect in the PBA’s On Tour exhibition series.
AJ Edu and Ray Parks Jr.—both battling health issues during the European leg of the training camp—were big, joining hands in a second-quarter fightback that put Gilas in control the rest of the way.
“What’s nice [about this squad] is that it has big guards. They can go through switches. Just like [Chris] Newsome. They can compete and they’re also athletic, and that should be a great advantage this time out,” Barroca said.
“And they still don’t have Kai [Sotto] and Clarkson. So there are going to be changes in two weeks or so.”
No clear timeline
Clarkson is expected to join the team towards the end of Gilas’ bid in a pocket tournament in China next week. However, not the same level of clarity could be said about Sotto, who has been visible in Gilas-related functions but is just a mere spectator in training, including Friday’s friendly.
“[The two camps are] negotiating that,” Reyes said of Sottos’ participation in the short meet in Heyuan City where Gilas will play Iran and Senegal.
“Jordan Clarkson is an NBA player, a proven NBA superstar. Kai Sotto is not. You tell me,” Reyes said in an earlier interview when asked about whether Sotto is a plug-and-play asset for Gilas, expressing for the first time his frustration over not being able to fully integrate Sotto into training. INQ
