CHOT REYES NAMES PHILIPPINE ASIAN GAMES TEAM THAT CAN WIN GOLD
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 13 Aug 2014
Gilas Pilipinas head coach Chot Reyes has named a Philippine team that he believes ?has a chance to win the gold medal? at the 17th edition of the Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea from September 19 to October 4.
Reyes told the Manila Standard in an overseas telephone conversation from Spain at 1:00 a.m. on Wednesday that he ?always wants a team that can run which is number one and team that can also shoot.?
He said that while the Philippines will miss the three point shooting of Jimmy Alapag who opted out because he was getting on in years and wanted to give younger players a chance and Larry Fonacier who withdrew before the team left Manila for its training stint in Miami, Florida because of injuries, Gilas Pilipinas had an additional outside threat in naturalized NBA player Andre Blatche along with Paul Lee who will be making his international debut.
The line-up which will be submitted to the Philippine Olympic Committee on Wednesday which will give the POC time to transmit the roster to the Asian Games Organizing Committee by the August 15 deadline, is composed of Jason Castro, LA Tenorio, Paul Lee, Gary David, Jeff Chan, Gabe Norwood, Jared Dillinger, Marc Pingris, Japeth Aguilar, Junmar Fajardo, Ranidel De Ocampo and Brooklyn Nets NBA star Andray Blatche.
Reyes had earlier given Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Manny Pangilinan the line-up which Pangilinan told us he had approved ?just now? which was around 11:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
While conceding he is ?not really a coach the line-up suggests that Chot wants speed? which Pangilinan termed ?a logical option.?
When Reyes spoke to the Standard the Gilas Pilipinas players had just finished two practices and were lifting weights prompting Chot to remark, ?it never gets easy.?
He said the practices ?went very well.?
Reyes earlier admitted that naming the twelve to the Asian Games was ?tough and I am not getting any sleep.?
The nationals will continue its pre-World Cup preparation with tune-up games against France on August 15 followed by games against Turkey and Australia ?one after the other.?
Reyes described the team?s performance in beating a Spanish pro league selection by 31 points the other day as ?encouraging and pretty good.? The head coach who steered Gilas Pilipinas to an epic second place finish in an emotional eleven day ride in August last year in the FIBA Asia Championships which clinched a spot in the FIBA World Cup after 40 years said he was ?very happy and can?t complain? but added ?we?ll see in the next few days.?
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