New Zealand trip to decide final line-up of Gilas-Pilipinas
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 09 Jul 2013
MANILA (PNA) -- A dose of speed and hustle, a touch of shooting, a bit of height.
This is how head coach Chot Reyes described the character of the Philippine team he is about to form for the coming 27th FIBA-Asia Championship on Aug. 1-11 at the Mall of Asia Arena.
And based on interviews with members of the coaching staff ? assistants Jong Uichico, Norman Black, Ryan Gregorio, Nash Racela and Josh Reyes ? coupled with what the Philippines News Agency saw in the more than a month of workout the team had undertaken so far, the following will compose the 12-man lineup that will be recommended to the Samahang Basketbol Ng Pilipinas:
Jimmy Alapag, 5 foot-10, Jason Castro, 5-10, L:.A. Tenorio, 5-8, all point guards; Larry Fonacier, 6-2, Gary David, 6-2, Jeff Chan, 6-1, No. 2 guards-forwards; Marc Pingris, 6-4, Gabe Norwood, 6-5 and Beau Belga, 6-5, forwards; Marcus Douthit, 6-11, Ranidel de Ocampo, 6-10 and Jun Mar Fajardo, 6-10, centers.
Belga has actually been fighting it out with 6-9 Japeth Aguilar for the 12th slot until the eve of the team?s departure for New Zealand yesterday, but basing on the body language of Reyes and his assistants, he most-likely, will make it because of the ?many things? he is capable of doing inside the playing court.
Alapag, Castro, Tenorio, Fonacier, David, Chan, Pingris, Norwood, Douthit, De Ocampo and Fajardo had actually been cinch to make the team as early as last week when the 13-man national training pool woprked out two to three times a day with the 12th slot still toss up between Belga and Aguilar until yesterday.
Seven footer,Greg Slaughter, the 14th man in the pool, virtually kissed his chance being a member after begging off from the New Zeland trip due to his studies, the same reason why he did not join, too the training camp in Lithuania last June.
Alapag, Castro and Tenorio, according to Reyes, will be presiding over Gilas-Pilipinas? running game besides providing the speed and hustle needed in offsetting the expected enormous height of of the other 15 teams in the field as he allayed fears expressed by some quarters that the presence of the trio diminishes the Nationals? ceiling.
The trio, likewise, will be complementing the scoring sock Chan, David, Fonacier and even Ranidel de Ocampo asre expected to provide.
Douthit, a naturalized player, Fajardo, De Ocampo, Pingris, Norwood and Belga will be trying to battle it out with their counterparts from the other nations off the board.
When shown the Journal?s lineup, Reyes and his staff just smiled saying, the 12th berth will be decided when the team gets to Napier, their first stop in a three-city New Zaland sojourn that will also see them play and attend training camps in wellington and Aukland.
Asked what Belga and Aguilar can contribute should anyone between them is selected, Uichico said the burly Rain or Shine center-forward has an edge in floor spacing as he can occupy a lot of rooms, especially in breaking the enemies? defense.
?Parehong may shooting. Si Japeth, of course, mas mataas at magandang mag-execute ng dunk. Si Beau mas athletic at puedeing enforcer? he said. ?Pero makikita natin kung sino talaga ang mapipili pagdating sa New Zealand.
Since the deadline for the submission of the official 12-man entry is July 12, Reyes said he and his staff will be deciding the final selection on the eve ot that day when they will submit their recommendation to SBP, headed by its president, president Manny V. Pangilinan.
?It is the SBP which will submit the lineup to the FIBA-Asia,? Reyes said.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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