Blatche a must for Gilas in FIBA Asia Cup
So Gilas Pilipinas is still in the middle of negotiations with its naturalized player Andray Blatche barely two weeks away from competing in the FIBA Asia Cup. The NBA veteran was included in the 24-man lineup submitted by our national team, but head coach Chot Reyes will need to get an answer from the former Brooklyn Nets center/forward on or before July 25 when the Philippine squad needs to submit its final 12 lineup for the tournament.
The tournament will start on Aug. 8, which is 15 days from now, but there’s no clear sign whether Gilas Pilipinas had already brought Blatche on board.
Blatche last played for Gilas Pilipinas in the SEABA Championship, a tournament dominated by the Philippines, which ensured its entry in the FIBA Asia Cup.
The FIBA Asia Cup is a tournament which the Philippines last won in 1986 and the Filipinos are aching to regain Asian supremacy by winning this event. Their future still hangs in the balance though because as of press time, Gilas Pilipinas team manager Butch Antonio said they’re still negotiating on Blatche.
The Philippines doesn’t have the luxury of time and although Gilas Pilipinas has a backup naturalized player in Fil- German Christian Standhardinger, who is playing for the national team in the William Jones Cup Tournament, it’s important for the Pinoy quintet to have Blatche in the lineup.
Blatche complements our big men — June Mar Fajardo, Japeth Aguilar and Troy Rosario among others. The American-Filipino can play inside and out, which could make our team interchangeable in different positions.
The player who inked the richest deal in Chinese Basketball Association history can play as a stretch four while his size can also make him play as a center, particularly on the defensive end where the Pinoys lack the size.
If Blatche cannot commit to play for Gilas in the coming tournament, it means the team will be left with no choice but to use Standhardinger as our naturalized player or compete in the tournament with our homegrown talents.
This is the dilemma our national team is facing now. The next 24 hours will be crucial for Gilas Pilipinas as the team will have to compete in FIBA Asia Cup with or without Blatche.
Whatever happens in the FIBA Asia Cup, Gilas Pilipinas and the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas should need to come up with a list of prospective naturalized players.
They might want to resume talks with Greg Smith, former import of Blackwater, whom they had initially talked with on the possibility of being naturalized.
Standhardinger had already been approved by FIBA to become Gilas Pilipinas’ naturalized player and perhaps this early, they could also talk to Kamaka Hepa, a Fil-Am player based in Alaska, who doesn’t have a Philippine passport at this time, but could easily pass as a naturalized player.
It’s about time Gilas Pilipinas should have a pool of naturalized players who are more committed to play for the Philippine flag.