Gilas five in need of a game-changer

Either Marcus Douthit or Andray Blatche will suit up for the Philippine national team as a naturalized player at the FIBA World Cup in Spain on Aug. 30-Sept. 14 and without a doubt, whoever is finally picked must be a game-changer to make the effort worth it.

Douthit, 33, has played for the Philippines in the last two FIBA-Asia Championships where Gilas finished in the Final Four, first with coach Rajko Toroman (fourth place) in 2011 and second with coach Chot Reyes (second place) last year. He’ll be 34 on April 15 but for Douthit, age is just a number. Douthit’s in shape and getting ready for Spain regardless if he plays or not.

Blatche, 27, is expected to be granted Filipino citizenship by naturalization through legislation next month, ahead of FIBA’s July 15 deadline for the 24 World Cup participants to submit their initial 24-man lineups. Reyes recently confirmed that Blatche has signed a contract to play for the Philippines at the World Cup and the Asian Games in Incheon on Sept. 19-Oct. 4.

Douthit is well-adjusted to Reyes’ system and familiar with how his Filipino teammates play. Chemistry is not an issue with Douthit. What may be a cause for concern is his durability. At the FIBA-Asia Championships in Manila last year, Douthit hurt his leg and couldn’t play in the second half of Gilas’ rousing win over South Korea in the semifinals. Against Iran in the finals, Douthit was a no-show on the floor, unable to play through the pain. There was neither a tear nor a fracture but Douthit complained he could hardly move his leg which felt like it was whacked by a paddle.

Without Douthit at the slot, former NBA center Hamed Haddadi went berserk in the fourth period and powered Iran to an 85-71 victory in the finals. Gilas was ahead by a point early in the third quarter but couldn’t find an antidote to stop Haddadi. Iran dominated the boards, 51-34. If Douthit played, it might have been a different outcome. Haddadi ended up with four personals and would’ve likely fouled out if Douthit played.

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In Spain, the Philippines is not in Iran’s bracket but just the same, Gilas will need a dominant center to battle the likes of Argentina’s Luis Scola, Puerto Rico’s Daniel Santiago, Greece’s Ioannis Bourisis, Croatia’s Ante Tomic and Senegal’s Mouhamed Sene.

Blatche will not be available to work out with Gilas until the team lands in Miami to set up training camp on July 24. The plan is for Gilas to train with Blatche in Miami, where he lives, up to Aug. 3. Then, Blatche will travel with Gilas to Madrid and play three practice games in Vitoria, three more games in a pocket tournament in Antibes, France, on Aug. 15-17 and four more games back in Vitoria on Aug. 18-26. Excluding scrimmages in Miami, Blatche will play at least 10 games with Gilas before the start of the World Cup.

Toroman said it’s important to play at least eight games with Blatche so Reyes’ plan is right on track. “Blatche will change the chemistry,” said Toroman who recently inked a contract to coach the Jordan national squad. “I heard about Blatche. He is a highly-skilled player who has influence in the NBA. With his quality and experience, he can help Gilas no doubt. The only problem is how he can jell with the team. Is there time enough to be part of the team? Marcus is long time with Gilas and that is his advantage.”

Douthit said he will step aside for Blatche if that is what is best for Gilas. But he’s definitely going to Spain no matter what. His parents are taking the trip, too. The Philippines has a special place in Douthit’s heart and he’ll be in Spain to cheer for Gilas whether or not he’s in the final 12-man roster. Reyes said FIBA will allow both Douthit and Blatche to be in the 24-man lineup but the final 12-man roster will list only one of them.

Curiously, both Douthit and Blatche were second round draft picks in the NBA. Douthit was chosen by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2004 and Blatche by the Washington Wizards the next year. Douthit played four years of Division I collegiate basketball with Providence while Blatche went straight from high school to the NBA. At Providence, Douthit gained a reputation as a defensive big man, averaging 3.0 blocked shots as a junior to rank 11th in the NCAA and 3.2 swats as a senior to rank seventh in the NCAA. He wound up his varsity career as Providence’s second leading all-time shot blocker with 295 swats. Douthit never got to play in the NBA despite close calls with the Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers.

Blatche is now on his ninth year in the NBA. In his first eight seasons, the 6-11 center averaged 9.9 points and 5.4 rebounds in 491 contests. His most productive campaign was with the Wizards in 2000-11 when he averaged 16.8 points and 5.4 boards. This season, he’s averaging 11.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 22.2 minutes in 70 games, including six starts, so far with the Brooklyn Nets. He’s hitting 47.6% from the field and 73.5% from the line. Blatche is headed for the playoffs with the Nets.

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Blatche will exercise his player option and become a free agent on June 30. That’s why he’s not able to fly to Manila to join Gilas in camp. He’d like to be accessible when teams call. Since Blatche is based in Miami during the offseason, Reyes decided to set up camp in the Florida city. It will also be convenient for Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra to show up for practice as a special guest if he’s in town.

Fiba.com reported that news of Blatche’s arrival “has raised eyebrows.” Because the Philippines has not competed at the World Cup since 1978, Gilas will be a stranger to teams that are not from Asia. Puerto Rico’s Spanish coach Paco Olmos confessed that “I don’t know about the Philippines but we will do our necessary scouting.”