Team Gilas gets 15 days for buildup

MANILA, Philippines - Gilas Pilipinas will have its regular Monday practices plus 15 full days where coach Chot Reyes will have at his disposal the national pool in preparation for the 2017 SEABA Championship on May 12-18 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The PBA board of governors, in a special meeting yesterday, agreed to release to Gilas Pilipinas the national pool members 15 days before the start of the SEABA joust which Team Phl must win to make the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup in Beirut in August.

In this period, Gilas players will no longer play for their mother ball clubs in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup to concentrate on their SEABA buildup.

This PBA board resolution is specific for the SEABA event, meaning league officials will craft separate measures for the FIBA Asia Cup or other events to be joined in by Gilas.

Also set this year is the Southeast Asean Games in Malaysia which runs in conflict with the FIBA Asia Cup. The FIBA tourney is set Aug. 10-20 while the SEAG is slated Aug. 19-31.

Gilas may tap a separate set of players for the Malaysian meet.

Reyes, however, is focused on the SEABA where the Philippines defends the crown versus six challengers in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Myanmar and Vietnam.

The Filipinos can’t afford to lose the title or they will miss the initial FIBA eliminator for the new qualifying competition for the 2019 FIBA World Cup.

The SEABA is so important that’s why Reyes is looking for form the best team that he can have.