Gilas not lacking in talent even with injuries hitting shoo-ins

Gilas Pilipinas head coach Chot Reyes talks to Chris Newsome and Jordan Clarkson during a game against Saudi Arabia in the Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers at Mall of Asia Arena. Photo by Fiba

Aside from home court edge and the debuting Justin Brownlee, national coach Chot Reyes is counting on the players’ familiarity with his system and whatever cohesion they have manufactured thus far when Gilas Pilipinas plunges into two Fiba (International Basketball Federation) World Cup qualifying games later this week.

“That has been the rationale for the entire program: You keep a core group together, players who have grown to know each other well and become familiar with our ways,” Reyes told the Inquirer.

“Then we’ll just add a few pieces here and there, depending on who’s [healthy] and who can make it,” he went on.

Reyes doubled down on the blueprint of the national program in a bid to quell the worries over growing manpower woes.

Unavailable standouts

Roger Pogoy is the latest to be shelved for the games against Lebanon and Jordan at Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan, beginning on Friday after sustaining a bone bruise in a Philippine Basketball Association game last week.

The deadeye TNT shooter joins big men Kai Sotto, Japeth Aguilar and Raymond Almazan as those who will be unavailable for the sixth and final window.

But Reyes feels Gilas has a safety net for scenarios like this one.

“It’s why I keep on telling the players to take away the concept of a ‘team.’ This is a pool and it’s constantly evolving,” he added.

Reyes pointed out that there’s enough options in the two-guard spot to replace Pogoy. Among those are Ray Parks Jr., Jordan Heading and Schonny Winston—all of whom have been impressive in camp.

“We’ve been very impressed with how Jordan is playing. Not only him but Schonny Winston has been performing very well, too,” he said.

“In terms of our depth chart, after Roger in that spot, those are [among] the players who are there,” he said.

‘Just thankful’

Outside of the tested Parks, Heading has a strong case to make the Final 12, all thanks to his previous stints with the national team under former coach Tab Baldwin.

It is also worth noting that Heading has also played well alongside Dwight Ramos, the efficient guard that Reyes has long dubbed as one of the program’s cornerstones.

“It’s not up to me, you know. But obviously, I just come out here to practice and shoot the basketball the best I can. And I know it’s in that area Gilas kind of needs,” Heading told the Inquirer in a separate interview.

“So I’m just thankful to be even considered for that role. That’s a role I enjoy playing, it’s a role I play in my club as well—find and knock down those threes. Obviously, Pogoy is a great shooter, we’ve seen that year in and year out. It’s a bum that he’s out, so I’ll do what I can if I get picked to fill that hole,” Heading added. INQ

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