Gilas hopefuls begin buildup for Fiba Asia

GILAS Pilipinas coach Tab Baldwin huddles the team during Monday night’s practice at Meralco Gym in Pasig. The team got together for the first time in preparation for the Fiba Asia championship in China, which stakes a berth in the Rio Olympics in 2016. AUGUST DELA CRUZ

Tab Baldwin conducted the first practice for the 16 players in the Gilas Pilipinas national pool on Monday night, drilling the aspirants for two straight hours with simulated game situations he hopes the Filipinos would know like second nature come tournament time.

Baldwin’s practice was a far departure from what many people see and know, as it was a continuous program that didn’t focus on skills in particular, but on how the entire team should move during games on both ends of the floor.

READ: Photos: Gilas holds first official training after pool announcement

Naturalized player Andray Blatche showed up for work a tad overweight and with a slight beer belly but didn’t ask for any quarters, working hard with the rest of the team which gathered for the first time after they were cleared to play by the PBA just hours before.

Three former Nationals—June Mar Fajardo, Marc Pingris and LA Tenorio—were absent as expected, but Baldwin later on said that there is no deadline for them to show up for as long as it doesn’t take them too long to do so.

READ: Blatche shrugs off weight gain, says he’ll be in shape in a month

“We don’t have a healer in the house,” Baldwin told the media in jest. “We don’t have someone who can heal June Mar quickly and heal Marcio’s (Lassiter) mother.”

Troy Rosario, formerly of reigning UAAP champion National University, and Jimmy Alapag made it a 15-man pool for Baldwin, who rested the injured Kelly Williams barely five minutes into practice.

READ: Jimmy Alapag ‘ready’ to suit up for Gilas Pilipinas if needed

Lassiter wasn’t named to the pool, but Baldwin has shown interest in the San Miguel Beer gunner who is in the United States attending to his sick mother.

The Nationals will practice five days a week except on Wednesdays and Sundays and will do twice-a-day workouts on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

“This is our team, these are the guys that we have here. For the other guys (Fajardo and Co.), I hope we get them here,” Baldwin said. “I hope their injuries heal and their personal issues are resolved.

READ: Taulava excited to play alongside Abueva in Gilas pool

“These are our brothers, and we have to worry with the guys that are injured,” he said. “The door is open and the lineup is fluid. We don’t have a deadline (for them to show up), but we cannot wait forever.

“We have to step backwards to go forward, if they come in late.”

This batch of Nationals is being prepared to shoot for the lone 2016 Rio Olympic cage berth to be staked in the Fiba Asia Championship in Changsha City in China’s Hunan province from Sept. 22 to Oct. 3.

The others in the pool are Gabe Norwood, Gary David, Ranidel de Ocampo, Jason Castro, Sonny Thoss, Dondon Hontiveros, Aldrech Ramos, Calvin Abueva, Terrence Romeo, Matt Ganuelas-Rosser and the 42-year-old Asi Taulava.

“The guys out here can get the job done, and that’s what I want them to believe,” Baldwin went on.

“I don’t make predictions, but I think this team can develop a strong culture and I think that if we can become cohesive and work for each other and play for each other,” he said. “I don’t put a ceiling on what our potential is, but we’re going to try to win each game we play.”