Gilas five PBA stint reduced to tune-up

MANILA, Philippines - PBA commissioner Sonny Barrios has decided to render the Smart Gilas’ stint in the KFC PBA Philippine Cup into tune-up matches that would allow naturalization prospect CJ Giles to continue playing for the team in the conference.  

With this development, results of games played by Burger King, Talk n Text and Barangay Ginebra against Smart Gilas have been nullified and will no longer reflect in the win-loss records of the teams concerned.

The RP developmental pool has seven remaining games in the tourney with the first one against Coca-Cola set Friday at the Astrodome. It has so far absorbed three losses, two of them Giles didn’t see action in.

The PBA board drew up two options, including the one chosen by the commissioner to supersede the original setup. The other option was for Smart Gilas not to play Giles for the rest of the team’s participation in the tourney.

Since the main objective of Smart Gilas is to help the RP aspirants prepare for upcoming international tournaments, Barrios opted to render the games non-bearing in the tournament instead of barring Giles from playing.

“We recognize that CJ Giles is a very vital part of the national team, the reason why he is considered as a candidate for naturalization for Filipino citizen,” said Barrios.

“He is seen as the ‘good big man’ the country sorely lacks to be able to compete with the powerhouse teams in Asia today. It will not help the team’s cause any if Giles is not allowed to play with the team,” Barrios added.

“We are convinced that it is in everyone’s best interest if both teams go into the game with the same mindset that the game has no bearing. Both Smart Gilas and the PBA teams, and their players, will thus be on equal footing as far as their outlook and approach on the game are concerned.”

The league commissioner felt the original setup where results count only for PBA teams has also become a cause for concern for PBA coaches and players.

“Some players have pointed out that the different treatment almost always means a difference in the level of intensity that may give rise to physical play and unwanted incidents,” Barrios said.

Barrios also took into account the observation of Barangay Ginebra coach Jong Uichico, himself a former national mentor.

“It is unfortunate that the PBA teams play the national team always looking to win,” Uichico was quoted by Barrios as saying in newspaper reports.