It may not be considered as a composition of the country’s best basketball players but Gilas assistant coach Josh Reyes remains hopeful the current number of warm bodies they have would be enough for the coaching staff to instill their preferred system.
Twelve PBA players on loan to the national team led by reigning MVP June Mar Fajardo and a group of PBA rookies and select young, non-PBA players collectively known as Cadets form the current 25-man Gilas training pool which started its Monday-only practice session last week at the Meralco Gym.
The list of PBA players came from an agreed set-up between the PBA and the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) where head coach Chot Reyes would be able to pick just one player from each PBA team.
Critics feel the set-up still limits Reyes from forming the best possible line-up that is aiming for a return trip the Olympics via the 2020 Games in Tokyo, Japan after missing the last 11 quadrennial meets.
Still, Reyes believes they have the proper numbers to jumpstart their long-term goal.
“All of them are either coming off practices or games so with more bodies, that means less repetitions on the drills,” said Reyes. “Before, if we run through a drill, they would go through it more times. With the number that we have now, they will be getting more time to rest.”
Reyes is part of the coaching staff that is led by his father Chot who is considered the architect of the country’s return to the FIBA World Cup in 2014 via the vaunted dribble-drive motion system.
“That’s what these Monday practices are all for. Refreshers, reminders on the system and on the sets so ngayon nagpasok kami ng zone sets,” said Reyes. “We know very well that in the Southeast Asian level, most of the teams just sit back on the zone against us so kailangan pag-aralan din natin yung zone offense.”
At the moment Gilas 5.0 is focused on winning the SEABA tournament, a prerequisite to qualify for the FIBA Asia Cup set this August in Lebanon.
The Philippines will host the SEABA event which will happen on May 12 to 18 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
(Dennis Principe)