THE Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas and Gilas coach Tim Cone are willing to welcome changes in the national team training pool with open arms.
SBP executive director Erika Dy said the country’s cage body and Cone had already discussed the possible additions or subtractions to the pool.
But the core players, such as 7-foot-3 Kai Sotto, naturalized star Justin Brownlee, Dwight Ramos, AJ Edu, Kevin Quiambao, Carl Tamayo, and Scottie Thompson, will remain.
“Mayroon na. It’s been discussed naman. Again, that’s why we have this program going on every window. After every window, may evaluation process iyan to make adjustments as needed, going towards the ultimate goal,” Dy said. “So, there are already a few changes that have been discussed.
“So, wait and see tayo if they will actually be applied this coming window. But what I can assure you is the core players will remain the same,” she added.
The Filipino cagers came on the heels of a numbing quarterfinal exit in the recent FIBA Asia Cup in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia where Cone wanted to have the likes of naturalized big man Ange Kouame, Rhenz Abando, Zavier Lucero and Ginebra aces Troy Rosario and RJ Abarrientos to beef up the roster.
Only Rosario and Abarrientos—although they were cut—joined the team’s build-up for the continental tourney as Gilas wound up seventh.
“These guys, they’re uppermost in our minds, and we’re looking at others. But the bottom line is we couldn’t get that done before the FIBA Asia,” Cone said.
“There could be one or two more (additions). But the idea is that the program started with an idea of continuity. We wanted Ange Kouame to come and join us in this last Asia Cup in terms of just being with the team and practicing with us.
“But he went on to Strong Group and played in the Jones Cup, so he wasn’t available to us. The same thing happened with Rhenz Abando. We wanted to bring Rhenz in to work with us, along with RJ and Troy. We also wanted Lucero as well, but Lucero went to the United States and his papers weren’t ready.”
Dy, the effervescent and charming official, said the first window of the World Cup Asian qualifiers and the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand in November and December, respectively, can also see the debut for the Philippine five of newly FIBA categorized local Quentin Millora-Brown.
“That’s the next tournaments on our calendar,” she said. “So, that’s the earliest that he will be part of the Gilas line-up, depending on the conversation with coach Tim, of course.”
Sweeping changes—if and when they happen—should only serve Gilas in good stead moving forward.
