'Clarkson fits into Guiao's system'

Former national team coaches Tim Cone and Norman Black are confident that Fil-American NBA cager Jordan Clarkson will be able to fit right away with Yeng Guiao's system before making his much-anticipated Philippine debut against China on Tuesday in the Indonesia Asian Games in Jakarta.

Many are eager to see how the Cleveland Cavaliers guard can blend under the hastily-formed national squad that made a strong impression in its Asiad opener last Thursday when it routed Kazakhstan, 96-59, at the Gelora Bung Karno Basket Hall.

“I'll think he'll do very well,” Cone, who guided the Philippines to its last podium finish in 1998 when the Centennial Team produced a bronze in Bangkok, said in a recent text message.

“Coach Yeng's system is brilliant in its simplicity so I don't think Clarkson will have a hard time adjusting,” added the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel mentor.

Black, the coach of the San Miguel Beer-led Nationals that placed fourth in the 1994 Hiroshima Games, gave a more detailed observation as to why Clarkson will succeed in Guiao's grand scheme of things.

“I'm not sure how good China is whether they have the best team in the Asian Games, but judging by the way the Philippine team ran their offense (against Kazakhstan), it's wide open,” Black said Friday after Meralco's 109-106 win over Columbian in the PBA Governors' Cup opener at Ynares Center.

“It's a pretty simple set – a high post set where they throw it to the big and then just numerous cuts coming from the strong and weak side. I think it would be very, vert easy for him to learn that in a couple of days, so I expect him to blend in right away,” added Black.

Clarkson arrived in Jakarta late in the Filipino cagers' mastery of Kazakhstan after a lengthy journey from Los Angeles that included a short layover in Singapore.

Guiao immediately called practice after the win to allow Clarkson to get a first-hand look of how things are being ran. Clarkson had even described Guiao's system as a “fun style of play.”