GILAS Pilipinas’ perennial problem of players committing only to withdraw at the last minute has resurfaced anew, which is gnawing at coach Chot Reyes less than two weeks before the 32nd Southeast Asian Games kicks off in Cambodia.
“Just like last year. We were practicing with a certain number of guys and then just before we left, all of a sudden, (Robert) Bolick couldn’t make it, Kevin Alas couldn’t make it, Japeth (Aguilar) got injured in the finals,” Reyes said.
“Hate to say it but here we go again. We just have to deal with the cards that are dealt to us,” he added.
The national team training pool was hit hard by injuries to key players June Mar Fajardo (MCL) of San Miguel Beer and TNT’s Roger Pogoy (fractured finger), while Ginebra’s Jamie Malonzo and Mikey Williams of the Tropang Giga have begged off due to family matters.
Reigning PBA MVP Scottie Thompson of the Kings is also doubtful since he and wife Jinky are expecting their first child, while Ginebra big man Japeth Aguilar has yet to fully recover from an MCL injury.
Only 11 players showed up in last Wednesday night’s practice at the Meralco Gym in Pasig.
Beermen CJ Perez and Chris Ross, Chris Newsome and Aaron Black of Meralco, Christian Standhardinger of the Kings, NLEX’s Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser, and Arvin Tolentino of NorthPort led the attendees.
Phoenix’s Sean Anthony served as a practice player, while amateur standouts Mason Amos and brothers Michael and Ben Phillips completed the pool that is expected to be bannered by naturalized Filipino Justin Brownlee.
“Tama naman na mag-alala sila (fans) because that’s really a worry. I wish there is something that we can do about it. But there’s nothing we can do about it,” Reyes said. “There’s nothing we can do about injuries. There’s nothing we can do about the personal circumstances of each player. There’s nothing we can do about the PBA finals that ended just last week.
“So, instead of worrying about those, we are focused on what we can do and things that are in front of us to hopefully put the best team out there.”
The nationals failed in their golden mission in last year’s edition of the Games in Hanoi, losing the medal that matters most to the country to Indonesia.
Gilas is bracketed in Group A and will open its redemption bid against Singapore on May 9 at the Morodok Techno National Stadium Elephant Hall 2 in Phnom Penh.
The Filipinos battle Cambodia on May 11 and Singapore anew two days later.
Group B is made up of Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos.
The top two teams in each group will advance to the crossover semifinals on May 15, with the winners reaching the gold medal match on May 16.
