MANILA, Philippines – With PBA Season 40 over, the pro league is now to work with national coach Tab Baldwin for the formation of the national pool and eventually the national team that will vie for an Olympic ticket in the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship set Sept. 23 to Aug. 3 in Changsha, China.
Baldwin is expected to finish talks with PBA team owners in the next few days and, together with the SBP selection committee, will announce the national aspirants before the end of the month.
“It’s between now and July 31 as Gilas Pilipinas targets to start practicing on Aug. 1,” said PBA media bureau chief Willie Marcial.
San Miguel Beer prized center Junemar Fajardo, now a two-time PBA MVP awardee and two-time PBA champion, said he’s looking forward to the Asian joust where he’s likely to form with naturalized player Andray Blatche a solid frontline tandem for Gilas Pilipinas.
Others who are likely to be shoo-ins in the team are guards Jayson Castro and Paul Lee, and forward Ranidel de Ocampo.
The rest will depend on Baldwin’s talks with PBA team owners. The most crucial is Ramon S. Ang, the chairman of San Miguel Corp. with three talent-laden PBA teams in San Miguel Beer, Barangay Ginebra and the Star Hotshots.
Doubtful is the release to the Gilas pool of all the players in Baldwin’s wish list.
“The big problem there is the tryouts. There are teams who will not let their players go through tryouts. Baldwin should’ve made up his mind already who are the players he wants to bring to China,” said a PBA insider.
“He’s been in the PBA for quite some time already. He should know by now the players deserving to be in the national team. He should have an idea already who will click in international competition,” the same source said.
Baldwin, meanwhile, has been saying he’s ready to work on who will be released to him.
The American-New Zealander coach has two months to whip Gilas into fighting form for the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship where the winner gains automatic berth in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics while the next two punch tickets to the world Olympic qualifier.
Tipped to be Gilas’ tough rivals in the tourney are the host team, Iran under new German coach Dirk Bauermann and Korea with naturalized player Moon Taeyoung who is taking over from brother Moon Taejong.
The returning Lebanon team, Qatar, Kazakhstan, Jordan, Chinese Taipei and Japan are the other teams to watch.
It’s easy to speculate that members of the old Gilas team are in Baldwin’s wish list. Players like Greg Slaughter, Marcio Lassiter, Terrence Romeo and main men of Alaska Milk will likely be in Baldwin’s mind, too.
Teams that won’t be touched by Baldwin are Blackwater, Kia and NLEX.
Gilas Pilipinas needs to improve from its second-place finish in Manila in 2013 if the Philippines will is to make its first Olympic appearance since the 1972 Munich Games.
Plan includes training in Lithuania and Estonia before playing in a pocket tournament at home prior to their departure for China.
Source: Nelson Beltran of Philippine Star
