Yeng may opt to use Blatche
For better chances, Philippine coach Yeng Guiao intends to strengthen the team’s frontline for the two remaining games in the sixth window of the FIBA World Cup qualifiers in February next year.
That could be music to naturalized Andray Blatche’s ear.
Despite being snubbed in the fifth window, Blatche made it known that he’s still willing to suit up for the Philippines now that the country needs him most in time for two crucial matches.
Blatche was already available against Iran after serving out his two-game suspension for his involvement in the infamous PHAussie brawl, but Guiao opted to use Filipino-German Christian Standhardinger as his naturalized player.
Guiao’s plan, however, is still in the pipeline and he will only decide what to do next after conferring the matter with his assistants.
“That’s just my personal opinion, that we have to solidify the 4-5 positions,” said Guiao Thursday. “Even if we have June Mar, or Greg, Japeth and Christian, we’re still small of that positions.”
“But as I’ve said, we still have to decide because there are other options since we have Stanley Pringle as naturalized, and then there’s the possibility of having PBA import Justin Brownlee as naturalized,” said Guiao.
Despite the presence of the ‘Twin Towers’ in June Mar Fajardo and Greg Slaughter, as well as Japeth Aguilar versus Kazakhstan, the Nationals absorbed a heartbreaking painful 92-88 setback.
The troika of Fajardo, Aguilar and Standhardinger was too slow to respond against the agile big men of Iran and the Nationals absorbed a 78-70 loss.
The Nationals’ back-to-back defeats to Kazakhstan and Iran dropped them to fourth place in Group F with an even 5-5 card – their bid to make it to next year’s World Cup in China now in peril.
The national team will take on Qatar in its home turf on Feb. 21, and will be hosted by Kazakhstan on Feb. 24 for the last two games of the sixth and last World Cup qualifiers.