BLATCHE FITTING IN VERY WELL WITH GILAS PILIPINAS
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 29 Jul 2014
Blatche.
Naturalized American Andray Blatche of the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA is fitting in very well with the Gilas Pilipinas national basketball team currently in a training camp in Miami, Florida as part of their preparation for the World Cup in Spain which opens in late August.
Coach Chot Reyes, in an overseas conversation with the Manila Standard/Viva Sports after practice on Tuesday said Blatche was fitting in very well with his teammates and is ?starting to assimilate guys playing with him.?
He said Blatche was ?picking up the offense very quickly and is very animated and very vocal? after only the team?s second practice.
Reyes said the players are ?in high spirits and the drills are very competitive.?
He said they are billeted at the Marriot Hotel which has ?a regulated size basketball court and is the hotel where NBA road teams stay, while the gym has all the amenities and we don?t have to go out.? Reyes added ?everyone is fine.?
He said the Philippine team will play two games against the University of Miami before leaving for a series of tune-up games in Spain.
The head coach is also being assisted by former New Zealand coach Thomas Anthony ?Tab? Baldwin.
Asked about the squad for the World Cup, Reyes told us he will ?make a decision when I have to since FIBA hasn?t as yet given us a deadline for submission of the twelve.?
Amidst speculations over the replacement for Larry Fonacier who backed out on doctor?s advice because of injuries, Reyes he would like ?to have a few games under our belt before we make a decision.?
Vying for slots on the team are Jared Dillinger and Paul Lee along with Beau Belga who was a reserve on the Philippine team that finished second in the FIBA Asia Championships last year in Manila.
After yesterday?s practice, Reyes said he ?watched videos of the earlier practice with the assistant coaches.?
The nationals received a welcome message on their arrival in South Beach from the Miami Heat which hoped that their preparation for the World Cup would go well. Coach Reyes thanked the Heat and expressed the hope they would visit with the coaching staff and players hoping that coach Eric Speolstra whose mother is from San Pablo City, Laguna would get a chance to give the coaching staff and the team some pointers at practice.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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