Gilas Pilipinas entered their usual safe haven—the Inspire Sports Academy in Laguna—on Tuesday as they begin preparations for the final window of the FIBA Asia Cup. The nationals’ hectic schedule is also a build-up for the tournament proper itself to be held in Saudi Arabia on August 5–17 later this year.
Gilas mainstays June Mar Fajardo, Calvin Oftana, CJay Perez, Scottie Thompson, and Japeth Aguilar are among the players already inside Inspire Sports Academy. Japan B.League veterans Dwight Ramos and AJ Edu are also in the venue, which has served as the national team’s training grounds for the past several years.
Tough Times Ahead as Banged-Up Gilas Plunges to Action
Justin Brownlee, Gilas’ naturalized reinforcement, is not in Inspire and will instead meet the team when they depart for Doha, Qatar tomorrow, February 13. The same goes true for Troy Rosario, the latest addition to Gilas after Kai Sotto’s ACL injury. The two Barangay Ginebra San Miguel stalwarts were excused from the Inspire training sessions to rest up their respective injuries—a blister for Brownlee and a knee contusion for Rosario.
Without the two, Gilas brought in Ginebra mainstays RJ Abarrientos and Ralph Cu to help out in the preparations and give the team warm bodies as they look to regain their grasp of Tim Cone’s Triangle Offense.
Another player who didn’t make the trip to Inspire was Meralco Bolts star Chris Newsome, who is still with his mother team as they continue their EASL campaign. The Bolts are battling the New Taipei Kings later tonight at the University of Taipei Gym, with the winner making the EASL Final Four. Newsome will join Gilas thereafter.
Carl Tamayo, another Gilas regular, will fly to Doha after his stint in the KBL.
Friendlies First Before the Third Window
At Doha, Gilas will play friendlies against Qatar (February 15, morning), Lebanon (February 15, evening), and Egypt (February 17). They will then play Chinese Taipei on February 20 in Taiwan and the Tall Blacks on February 23 in New Zealand to finish the third window of their FIBA Asia Qualifiers campaign.
With their spot in the FIBA Asia Cup already secured, Gilas are essentially using the next two weeks as preparation for the tournament proper. They will also look to integrate AJ Edu into the team and work Jamie Malonzo back. Edu will finally get the opportunity to play for this Tim Cone-led iteration of the national team, while Malonzo will be back in harness after a one-year absence due to injury.
