Gilas Pilipinas naturalized prospect wants to get better

ISAIAH AUSTIN may be the promising naturalized prospect Gilas Pilipinas is looking for.

Standing 7-foot-1, the NBA veteran is a mobile big man that is suited for coach Chot Reyes’ dribble drive offense. Mr. Austin had shown a lot of promise, but he knows he has a lot of work to do to get his game better. In a questionnaire sent by

BusinessWorld to Sports 5’s Volta delos Santos, Austin vowed to work on his game more, saying his stint playing for the Philippine squad in the recent FIBA Asia Champions Cup was an eye opener.

“I’m a stretched five and I like to stretch the floor and put the ball in the rim,” said Mr. Austin. “But I didn’t do much of rebounding and going coast to coast but that’s what I would do in the future. That’s what I developed in this tournament in China. When I go home, I’m gonna take some time off and work on my game.”

Mr. Austin is one among the prospects Mr. Reyes is looking at. He had initially invited Greg Smith, former import of Blackwater, but no word yet as to whether they would enlist him as a naturalized player despite the player’s willingness to play.

Andray Blatche, the country’s naturalized player, played against Gilas Pilipinas in the FIBA Asia Champions Cup while representing his club team in China, but he won’t be available for the home and away tournament in November because of his commitment to the Chinese League.

This means the Philippines will be sticking with Christian Standhardinger, a Fil- German and top PBA prospect, who could only come in as a naturalized player due to technicalities.

Austin could also be lined up as another prospect and the big man is aware how big deal basketball is in the Philippines, which means he has to perform according to expectations.

“It was amazing because of the fact that I was playing for a bigger purpose and playing for the whole country. It’s great to represent the Philippines. I love it because I know how big basketball is in the Philippines and it’s something I’d like to be a part of,” said Mr. Austin.

“Philippine basketball is very competitive just like in the United States. Definitely, I intend to play for a long period of time. I had a great time here, played good memories. I made a lot of friends in the team, the players and the coaching staff. It’s something I want to do in the future.”

For Mr. Austin, the whole experience of playing for Gilas not only opened a door for his intention to continue a career in basketball, but also a way to reward the people who had given him the chance of a lifetime.

“Thank you for the support. The past couple of weeks is something I will remember for the rest of my life. Those who have supported me — fans, teammates, the staff and friends — will always have a special place in my heart.” —