BLATCHE RETURNS FOR GAME AGAINST BASQUE NATIONAL TEAM BUT LEE STILL SIDELINED
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 19 Aug 2014
Naturalized NBA player Andray Blatche returns to action when the Gilas Pilipinas national basketball team tries to comeback from an embarrassing 114-64 rout at the hands of an awesome Ukraine team in the final game of a four-nation pocket tournament in Antibes, France when they face the Basque National Team today following their return to Spain.
Coach Chot Reyes told the Manila Standard/Viva Sports shortly after the team landed in Bilbao that Blatche who sat out the game against Ukraine with a sprained ankle ?will play for sure? but that Paul Lee who has been included in the initial World Cup line-up is unlikely to suit up since he doesn?t wish to risk the gutsy guard who has a sore hip.
The Gilas Pilipinas squad enters the final stretch of its tune-up games against the tall and talented Basque National Team which has two NBA unrestricted free agents in 26 year old 6?4? guard Lander Lasa and 25 year old 6?9? forward Unai Calbarro as well as two US NCAA players in 6?3 guard Aitor Zubizarreta from the University of Portland and 6?8 forward Jorge Bilbao from the Texas-Arlington Mavericks.
Also in the Basque roster are 6?5? point guard Dario Brizuela, 24 year old 6?4? swingman Mikel Motos, 6?3? guard Ander Aruti, 25 year old 6?6? center Sergio de la Fuente from Valladolid University, 21 year old power forward Jon Ander Aramburu, 23 year old 6?8? power forward Urko Otegi, 21 year old NBA draft prospect 6?8? center Julen Olaizola and 25 year old 6?9? forward Unai Calbarro.
Reyes told us he spoke to the big men on the Philippine team, Junmar Fajardo and Japeth Aguilar who except for a couple of highlight reel dunks by Japeth have been disappointing and indicated they had to shape up and not be awed and pushed around by the big men of opposing teams which was evident in the games against Australia and Ukraine.
At the same time coach Reyes hinted that a remote option would be Beau Belga who can bang and has a three-point shot but emphasized that ?unless there is an injury? the team will stay intact with Blatche replacing Marcus Douthit who has served Gilas and the country well and Paul Lee who will fill in the slot vacated by shooting star Larry Fonacier because of recurring injuries.
Reyes said the roster of the Philippine team to the World Cup hasn?t been submitted as yet because FIBA hasn?t set a deadline although former FIBA Asia secretary general Moying Martelino told the Standard the line-up will be submitted at the Managers meeting prior to the opening which is likely to be one or two days before the start.
Following today?s game the Philippines will wind-up its series of tune-up games against Angola on August 23, the Dominican Republic on August 25 and Egypt on the 26th.
Texas Arlington Mavericks coach Scott Cross said ?this is a tremendous opportunity for Jorge (Bilbao) to gain valuable international experience? playing against the Philippines and Angola and added ?playing for your country is an honor that not many players earn. I am confident Jorge will return to UT Arlington a better player for it.?
Bilbao played in 30 games as a freshman last season and started in 10. He saw action for some 10.8 minutes a game and finished with an average of 1.5 points and 2.8 rebounds. He scored a career high 6 points at South Alabama on March 8 and grabbed a season best 7 rebounds on two occasions.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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