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Gilas training intensifies
Gilas Pilipinas shifts its training to high gear in preparation for the 32nd Southeast Asian Games. Gilas team manager Butch Antonio told Daily Tribune that they will have an intense nine-day training in Manila before leaving for Phnom Penh on 6 May, just in time for the opening of the men’s basketball event on 9 May at the Elephant Hall 2 inside the Morodok Techo Stadium. “We will practice on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Then, we’ll take a break on Saturday. We will resume on Sunday until before departure on 6 May,” Antonio said. Leading the way for Gilas Pilipinas will be players from TNT Tropang Giga and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel – the protagonists in the Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup best-of-seven finals series that wrapped up last week. Tropang Giga stars Calvin Oftana and Poy Erram as well as Kings stars Japeth Aguilar, Stanley Pringle, Christian Standhardinger, Jeremiah Gray, Scottie Thompson, and naturalized player Justin Brownlee will be at the helm when the Filipinos reclaim the glory they lost to Indonesia in the previous edition of the Games in Hanoi. For good measure, Gilas coach Chot Reyes invited Filipino-American hotshot Mikey Williams to be part of the pool following the absence of injured Roger Pogoy. Playing for the national team has been a dream of the 31-year-old gunner from Los Angeles. The closest thing he ever got to represent the country was when he played for Mighty Sports in the William Jones Cup and the Dubai International Tournament. Pogoy was supposed to join the aspirants but was sidelined by a fractured pinky he suffered in the middle of their championship series. He was reduced into a mere cheerleader starting Game 4 and was ruled out for the biennial meet. Also sitting out will be June Mar Fajardo, who suffered a torn medial collateral ligament during his stint with San Miguel Beer in the East Asia Super League last March. Although the six-time PBA Most Valuable Player is already doing strengthening procedures, he has yet to do some on-court workouts and scrimmages. A member of the national team program for a decade now, Fajardo confirmed to Daily Tribune that he will not be able to see action in the biennial meet. “I haven’t had hard court activities yet because I’m still doing some strengthening exercises,” said Fajardo, who appeared fit when he showed up as one of the local ambassadors of FIBA World Cup during the partnership launching of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, San Miguel Beer and Cignal/TV5. “I haven’t even touched a basketball as I’m more focused on my rehab.” While Pogoy and Fajardo won’t be able to see action, returning Ginebra veteran forward Japeth Aguilar is determined to rejoin the team, according to Kings coach Tim Cone, who serves as one of the assistant coaches of Reyes at Gilas along with the younger Reyes and Jong Uichico. “He certainly wants to join and play,” wrote Cone in a Viber message. “But only if he’s 100 percent fit and that is to be determined by the SBP medical team.” Aguilar is also coming off a knee injury and he only returned to action midway the championship series. Other PBA players included in the Gilas pool are CJ Perez, Marcio Lassiter and Chris Ross of San Miguel Beer, Arvin Tolentino of NorthPort, Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser of NLEX, Chris Newsome, Aaron Black and Raymond Almazan of Meralco, collegiate stars Michael and Ben Phillips and Kevin Quiambao of La Salle, incoming Ateneo forward Mason Amos and Adamson’s Jerom Lastimosa. The post Gilas training intensifies appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Chot sees solid turnout
The buildup of the Gilas Pilipinas team tasked to regain supremacy of the Southeast Asian Games next month in Cambodia intensifies this Wednesday. Head coach Chot Reyes was thinking of holding a workout Monday but he opted to call it off and scheduled a scrimmage instead on Wednesday so all the invited players can attend. Key players from newly-crowned Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup champion TNT and Barangay Ginebra are expected to show up as the preparations for the 5 to 17 May sportsfest enters the twilight zone. “We’re not yet complete (by Monday), so most likely we will hold it on Wednesday,” Reyes said. ‘Hopefully I’ll get selected.’ Whether this is going to be the start of the daily workout remains to be seen. “That’s the plan,” Jong Uichico, another Gilas assistant coach, said. Mikey Williams, who just won his second title and second Finals Most Valuable Player award in the process, will lead the Gilas pool players coming from TNT and he will be joined by Calvin Oftana and Poy Erram. For Oftana, getting selected and being able to play for Gilas in the SEA Games will be a dream come true. “Hopefully I’ll get selected,” said Oftana, who just won his first championship in the PBA right in his first finals appearance. Roger Pogoy, who was originally included in the expanded pool, will miss the action in the SEA Games as he suffered a fractured pinky which will sideline him for the next six weeks. Justin Brownlee, the beloved Barangay Ginebra import, and the Philippine team’s newest naturalized player, will once again backstop Gilas’ campaign along with fellow Gin Kings Scottie Thompson, Governors’ Cup Best Player of the Conference winner Christian Standhardinger, highly-athletic wingman Jamie Malonzo, Jeremiah Gray and returning 6-foot-9 center/forward Japeth Aguilar. Aguilar is coming off a knee injury which forced him to miss the sixth and final window of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers held a few months ago at the Philippine Arena. “In the meantime, it’s going to be back to work for us, Justin, Scottie, Jamie, Christian and hopefully Japeth, he can continue to get better,” said Ginebra coach Tim Cone, who also serves as one of the assistant coaches of Reyes. “It’s back to work for us, so no rest for the weary.” But Gilas also have several other prospects outside of the two protagonists in the recent championship series. San Miguel Beer stars CJ Perez, Marcio Lassiter and Chris Ross are eager play as well as Arvin Tolentino of NorthPort, a long-time member of the pool. Meralco stars Chris Newsome and Aaron Black had also worked out in the previous training session, so as brothers Michael and Ben Philipps from La Salle and incoming Ateneo freshman Mason Amos. Last year, the Philippines was dethroned as king of the SEA Games after losing the gold medal match to Indonesia in Hanoi. The post Chot sees solid turnout appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Redeem Team?’
Whether the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas admits it or not, the preparation of Gilas Pilipinas for the 32nd Southeast Asian Games is very problematic. Dubbed the “Redeem Team” for its ultimate goal of reclaiming the gold medal in the biennial meet, Gilas Pilipinas struggled to launch its training program as most of its players were still playing in the finals of the Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup. Gilas kicked off their training program on a promising note. Although cornerstones Japeth Aguilar and June Mar Fajardo were not around, the majority of the pool members showed up led by naturalized players Justin Brownlee, Jamie Malonzo, Christian Standhardinger, and Jeremiah Gray as well as Roger Pogoy, Calvin Oftana, Aaron Black, Marcio Lassiter and Kevin Alas. There were also some new faces in Mike and Ben Phillips, and Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser as well as returning pool members Mason Amos and Schonny Winston. For good measure, Gilas coach Chot Reyes invited defensive lynchpin Sean Anthony to provide an additional warm body that would give him a chance to study the combinations that he will use in the tourney that is set in Phnom Penh from 5 to 17 May. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a good start. Everybody was in high spirits. But not for long. When Reyes called another training session, only seven players confirmed, prompting him to call off the supposedly once-a-week workout. Reyes called another training last Monday and only 11 players from the 28-man pool attended. The following day, Gilas convened anew and the same faces — except for Lassiter who had to fly to the United States — were in attendance, giving Reyes and his coaching staff the “luxury” of holding scrimmages and running through the plays. “That’s a luxury,” Reyes said in a report. “We get every opportunity that we have to form a team of at least 10 players then we go out and hold a practice session.” Reyes also branded the development of having at least 10 players as “real progress.” “But at least we were able to put in some offensive things, defensive concepts, and there’s some real progress that is being made.” Luxury? Progress? If your national team is preparing for a major international event that will open two weeks from now with only 10, or 11 players, then you have a big problem. For a country that eats, drinks, and sleeps basketball, losing the SEA Games gold medal is a crime. Failing to win it the following year, however, is a mortal sin. The Filipinos have been ruling the men’s basketball event of the SEA Games with an iron hand. In fact, before losing the gold medal in the Hanoi edition of the Games in 2022, the only times that they didn’t win the SEA Games title since the event was held in 1977 were in 1979 and 1985. And their wins were not just simple victories. It was a massacre, total devastation made by a team usually composed of college kids, journeymen, and amateur stars. The Philippines was so dominant that universities and clubs in Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia were lining up just to “import” Filipino coaches who could teach them the basics of the game. But those days are gone. Since the emergence of the Asean Basketball League in 2009 and the explosion of social media and other online platforms, other Southeast Asian countries have discovered the formula for how to beat the Filipinos. They opened their eyes and started hiring international coaches and technical instructors while naturalizing foreign-born players to reinforce them in major events. Believe it or not, when Indonesia shocked the Philippines in the SEA Games final last year, it wasn’t represented by some skinny kids from Sulawesi or Sumatra. They were reinforced by United States-trained Marques Bolden, Derrick Michael Xzavierro, and Brandon Jawato with Serbian head coach Rajko Toroman manning the bench. The war in Phnom Penh is just two weeks away. While reigning champion Indonesia is deep in its training in Australia, Gilas Pilipinas is still figuring out how to put at least half of its 28-man pool on the floor. That’s a real problem. When the team for the SEA Games was formed, fans and media were quick to baptize it with a neat moniker of “Redeem Team” as it was armed with a mission of reclaiming the lost jewel in the country’s crown — the men’s basketball title. But with the way things are going, Gilas Pilipinas will be fortunate to make it to the semifinals. The post ‘Redeem Team?’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
TNT bags title
Mikey Williams saved his best for last and carried TNT to a historic first-ever championship in the Philippine Basketball Association Governors' Cup as the Tropang Giga finished the best-of-seven championship Friday night with a 97-93 win over Barangay Ginebra. Williams put on a shooting clinic, hitting nine treys and finishing the game with 38 points as the Tropang Giga completed their date with the destiny of finally winning the season-ending tournament in front of 13,558 fans at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. While TNT captured its first Governors' Cup, head coach Jojo Lastimosa and Calvin Oftana also cherished the moment of winning the first championships of their respective careers. Winning a title right in his first conference as a mentor, Lastimosa joined the elite cast of coaches to win just in their maiden conference. His feat enabled him to join Narciso Bernardo (1984 First All-Filipino Conference, Crispa), Chot Reyes (1993 All-Filipino, Coney Island), Eric Altamirano (1997 All-Filipino, Purefoods), Ryan Gregorio (2002 Governors' Cup, Purefoods) and Joel Banal (2003 All-Filipino, TNT) as debuting tacticians who struck paydirt right away. Oftana, on the other hand, won his first championship as a PBA player. Plucked from NLEX in the mid-season in a trade involving top overall rookie pick Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser and veteran forward Troy Rosario, Oftana immediately became an impact player for the Tropang Giga. In Game 6, the Tropang Giga battled foul trouble in the early goings with Poy Erram and Calvin Oftana each nursing three fouls in the first half as Barangay Ginebra played with much sense of urgency and dictated the tempo, leading by as many as 11 points, 44-33, on Scottie Thompson's two free throws with 4:17 left before the half time break. But the first half was practically a one-man show for Mikey Williams, who torched the nets for 26 points and hit seven-of-12 shots from beyond the arc to keep the Tropang Giga in the thick of the fight. Williams' 26 points in the first half were the most by a local player in the first half since Game 2 of the best-of-seven championship series between TNT and Rain or Shine in the 2015 Commissioner's Cup when Jayson Castro pumped in 27 points. Castro, a seven-time PBA champion, is still playing for the Tropang Giga, but his role has diminished as the franchise's sixth man. A scoring champion two years ago, Williams, a Finals Most Valuable Player when TNT last won the title in the 2021 Philippine Cup, also had 26 points in the second half of TNT's 98-106 loss to Magnolia in Game 3 of their 2021 Philippine Cup best-of-seven championship series. Willaims had taken over in the first half as import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson acted more like a facilitator, giving the local players good looks to the basket. Hollis-Jefferson, the newly-minted Best Import, scored 11 points and grabbed seven rebounds, but could only make three of his 10 shots from the field in the first 24 minutes of play. The post TNT bags title appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Injured Pogoy out of SEAG
Gilas Pilipinas lost yet another key personnel after Roger Pogoy of TNT Tropang Giga suffered an injury during their Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup finals series. Arguably one of the country’s best two-way player, Pogoy confirmed that he broke his right pinky during Game 3 of their best-of-seven finals series against Barangay Ginebra San Miguel. With the injury, Pogoy was forced to sit out in their 116-104 win in Game 4 and will not be around when the country tries to reclaim its glory in the men’s basketball competition of the 32nd Southeast Asian Games set from 5 to 17 May in Cambodia. “I really wanted to play there. Seeing the crowd tonight, I really want to play in front of them,” said Pogoy, admiring the more than 16,000 spectators who trooped to the Smart Araneta Coliseum to witness the pivotal Game 4 last Sunday. He said he had been playing through pain and was only aggravated when he saw action in Game 3. “On a scale of one to 10, the pain level is 10. I didn’t know at that time that my right pinky was already broken,” said Pogoy, who led the league in three-point percentage in the eliminations. Pogoy’s injury is a major blow to the Gilas squad that had already lost key personnel. In fact, aside from the abroad-based cagers like Thirdy and Kiefer Ravena, Dwight Ramos, Ray Parks and Kobe Paras, the country might also miss the services of six-time PBA Most Valuable Player June Mar Fajardo while Japeth Aguilar is still on his road to full recovery. Fajardo tore his medial collateral ligament during San Miguel Beer’s stint in the East Asia Super League last month while Aguilar is still playing sparingly for Ginebra after suffering a knee injury in the early stretch of the Governors’ Cup. But the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas has yet to press the panic button with deputy executive director Butch Antonio claiming that they have already submitted the 28-man pool where they can pick Pogoy’s replacement. He said nothing is certain at this point since Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes will decide on the final roster during the technical meeting a day before the opening of men’s basketball event. “There’s still a technical meeting when we arrive in Cambodia. Nothing is final yet and the coaches will be the ones to make the final decision,” Antonio said in a phone conversation. “It’s a big loss that we don’t have Roger but those are the things we have to live with. Accidents happen and that’s why there is a long list so that we can make necessary choices and adjustments.” The post Injured Pogoy out of SEAG appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
No rest for weary
Gilas arrived home from Jeddah late Monday night and head coach Chot Reyes called for a TNT coaches meeting at 8 the next morning before practice to get ready for the game against Meralco in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum today......»»
Pingris ‘one of a kind’
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PBA: Chot says it would have been 'cool' to coach Ginebra
Coach Chot Reyes' greatest PBA success was with Talk 'N Text, the flagship MVP franchise. But over the course of his career in the PBA, which spanned two decades, Coach Chot also did his rounds with the SMC teams. He started his career with Purefoods, winning an All-Filipino title in his first conference in 1993. Reyes also had one random stop with San Miguel Beer, coaching the Beermen all the way to the 2007 Philippine Cup Finals. Now long-retired from professional basketball, Coach Chot wishes he could have had the chance to handle Barangay Ginebra, the only SMC team he missed. "I always thought it would be cool to coach Ginebra," Reyes said on Coaches Unfiltered. "Having that NSD [Never Say Die] behind you every night behind you, we always talk about that with coach Tim [Cone]. Sabi ko swerte mo. And he's [Cone] enjoying, he's really having the time of his life. I've always been intrigued by the chance to coach Ginebra," he added. While being the Gin Kings coach would have been nice, Reyes mentions another team in his list of what ifs. Reyes was the Ateneo coach back in the early 1990s, and he regrets not being able to lead the Blue Eagles to a UAAP championship. "The one thing I rue is not being able to give a championship for the Ateneo in the college level," Coach Chot said. "I coached Ateneo to a juniors championship, and I coached Ateneo for three years in the UAAP seniors, 1990-92, but those were the down years. We had to raise our own money to even buy our stuff and equipment. That's like sayang, if I had that opportunity when I was coaching Ateneo but I don't that's going to happen anymore now and I'm at peace with that," he added. — Follow this writer on Twitter, @paullintag8.....»»
GILAS: 'Stretch 4' an ideal replacement for Blatche says coach Chot
Andray Blatche is not getting any younger, and looking at the current Gilas Pilipinas calendar, it seems like the national team is more than ready to move on from him as the no. 1 naturalized player. Which begs the million-dollar question though: Who should replace Andray Blatche on Gilas Pilipinas? There are some names, the more popular ones now are Ginebra resident import Justin Brownlee and former PBA champion with San Miguel Chris McCullough. Getting a naturalized player is not as simple as it sounds. Brownlee has been a favorite for the longest time and yet it appears his naturalization process hasn't moved forward in the slightest. It might be a difficult venture to replace Blatche but when Gilas is ready to go, the national team should prioritize one type of player according to former coach Chot Reyes. "We need a tall guy who can also play outside," Reyes said on Coaches Unfiltered. "That's the way we give other teams problems, if our big man can also be a stretch 4-5 then that's the perfect type of player," he added. While a dual-threat big man is the ideal option, the development of our young prospects gives Gilas room to get creative. If the future national team is bannered by skilled seven-footers like Kai Sotto and AJ Edu, another big man might prove to be redundant. Adding a versatile wing piece could be better in that future scenario. "If Kai and AJ Edu develop as we think they should, then maybe we can look at somebody that is more skillful," Reyes said. "More all-around wingman type that can play also play guard, forward, and shoot the three," he added. Thinking about the ideal naturalized player for Gilas Pilipinas sure is exciting, but the process of getting one on board entails a lot of realities the program must face. For one, Gilas must find a good and young enough player that is not already-affliated with a different national team. Said player must be willing to play for the Philippines too. "There just one very important thing. If that player is really good, chances are he's going to play for his [own] country or he's already play in the national team. Andray Blatche was really a one-in-a-million situation for us," Reyes said. "If we have a 7-footer out there that's pretty young, and he has to be willing to give up his citizenship. Well, not really his citizenship, but if he plays for the Philippine national team, he cannot play anywhere else. It's a difficult proposition. It entails a lot of planning and forward looking," coach Chot added. — Follow this writer on Twitter, @paullintag8.....»»
Kai Sotto in the 'NBA Radar' with G League stint
With Kai Sotto in the G League, all eyes will be on him. That's true for pretty much all local basketball fans as Kai attempts to become the first homegrown Filipino to play in the NBA. With Kai in the G League, NBA eyes will be on him as well. Just how well Sotto plays in the Select Team with other high-profile prospects like 2020 no. 1 Jalen Green could determine whether he gets drafted or not in a couple of years. "For now that was the best option because the people being the G League are also the NBA people. This is an NBA project," former Gilas Pilipinas head coach Chot Reyes said on Coaches Unfiltered about Kai's most latest move in the US. "It was good strategically for Kai to be there so that he's already in the "NBA radar" and part of the NBA family. It's going to improve his chances of eventually getting drafted," he added. Kai in the G League gives the 7'2" teen the best competition he can get as he prepares for the NBA. Armed with height, youth, and skill, harnessing all that potential really takes priority. Well, that and making sure his body is built for the big boy league. "For me, it's not really the skills. I have no worry about Kai's skills, he has all the skills for a basketball player. I think he's gained 22 or 24 pounds already? [And] there's specific movements that their working on with his bio mechanics. Those are the little things their working on," coach Chot said of Kai. "Being around Jalen Green and all that, that means everyday he's going to get top-level competition. That's what Kai needs. He needs to toughen up, sa tagalog tawag natin kailangan niya mabugbog," Reyes added. — Follow this writer on Twitter, @paullintag8.....»»
Chot Reyes rekindles coaching relationships overseas
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PNVF forms coaching staff for world meet
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PNVF forms coaching sataff for world meet
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Boxing trainer Domingo is confident Jerusalem will upset Shigeoka
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