Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/ELVIS ZALDARIS.
Things are looking up for Gilas Pilipinas as it enters a critical juncture in its preparations for the Fiba World Cup.
Scottie Thompson rejoined the team’s practices on Sunday, and Kai Sotto has been cleared to partake in the training without restrictions.
“We’re finally complete. We have 16 guys in practice. Scottie Thompson reported for full-contact practice last Sunday and he’s looking good. No limitations, [and] he’s doing everything that everyone else is doing,” National coach Chot Reyes told reporters during the launch of Gilas Pilipinas and Max’s partnership Tuesday afternoon in Scout Tuazon, Quezon City
“Kai (Sotto) has also joined us for full contact. He’s also doing everything that everybody else is doing.”
In a separate announcement around noon, Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Al Panlilio revealed that Sotto has been cleared by the Gilas’ physician, Randolph Molo, to play in the Fiba World Cup set Aug. 25.
As encouraging as these developments may be, Reyes said that the reigning PBA’s Most Valuable Player and the 7-foot-3 young big man have some catching up to do as far as conditioning is concerned.
“[They are] not yet there,” he said of the two standouts. “Scottie looks ok but I’m sure both of them are not yet in a hundred percent basketball competitive shape.”
“Hopefully, we have 10 days to be able to make up for that,” he added.
Thompson fractured his right hand during Gilas’ training camp in the Baltics, while Sotto sustained a back problem while trying to resuscitate a lifelong dream in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas last July.
The Philippines is scheduled to host Ivory Coast on Friday, Montenegro on Sunday and then Mexico Monday next week in a series of closed-door tune-up games that could help Thompson and Sotto to catch up to the level of the other players in the training squad.
