PBA endorses 16 players to Gilas

MANILA, Philippines - Despite their respective issues or concerns, JuneMar Fajardo, Marc Pingris and LA Tenorio were included in the list of 16 PBA players made available for the Gilas Pilipinas training pool for the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship set Sept. 23 to Oct. 3 in Changsha, China.

Gilas veterans Jayson Castro, Ranidel de Ocampo, Kelly Williams, Gary David, Gabe Norwood and Asi Taulava, former Gilas cadets Matt Ganuelas-Rosser and Aldrech Ramos, Alaska stalwarts Sonny Thoss, Dondon Hontiveros and Calvin Abueva, Barako Bull’s JC Intal and Globalport’s Terrence Romeo are the other PBA players named to the pool to be bannered by naturalized player Andray Blatche.

“In our desire to form the best national team for FIBA Asia in September, the PBA is endorsing to Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas an initial list of players,” said the PBA in a statement. “Should there be additional names in the next few days, we will immediately inform the SBP.”

Gilas coach Tab Baldwin requested for the availability of Fajardo, Pingris and Tenorio despite doubts on their status for the Asian joust that serves as the regional qualifier for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

The three have been with the Gilas program for at least three years, all playing key roles in the team’s second-place finish in the last FIBA Asia tourney in Manila in 2013.

But Fajardo is now nursing a foot injury; Pingris is on official leave, attending family matter, while Tenorio had actually begged off, citing fatigue and poor form.

“Their ball clubs have approved their release to the national team. It’s now up to Gilas to talk to the players and discuss their concerns,” said PBA media bureau chief Willie Marcial.

Gilas is hoping Fajardo will be okay in time for the Asian meet. Pingris, meanwhile, may be allowed to catch up on training upon his return from abroad by the second week of the month.

But there are names conspicuously missing in the list, including Rain or Shine’s Paul Lee and Jeff Chan, both members of the Gilas team in the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Spain and the Gilas squad in the succeeding Asian Games in Incheon, Korea.

“Rain or Shine has been fully supporting the national team all these years. It was their turn to request that, if it’s possible, only one player will be tapped for the  national team,” said Marcial.

Baldwin’s choice went down between Norwood and Lee.

Minus Lee and Jimmy Alapag, Baldwin will have new faces at the backcourt in Romeo and Rosser. The latter is among the new toasts in the PBA now, winning the Most Improved Player award plus a Mythical Second Team citation in the recent PBA yearend awards. The former is a former national cadet player with exposures in the Jones Cup, SEABA and SEA Games.

The pool includes centers/big forwards Blatche, Fajardo, Taulava and Thoss; forwards Williams, De Ocampo, Ramos and Abueva; wing men/slashers David, Norwood, Hontiveros and Intal, and combo guards Castro and Romeo.

All of them are veteran internationalists except Abueva and Romeo.

Taulava, 42, and Hontiveros, 38, are the most senior, having been with  the national team starting in the Busan Asian Games in 2002.

The two were back in the team sent to the FIBA Asia Championship in Tokushima in 2007, with Taulava continuing to serve the team in the 2009 FIBA Asia, 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games and 2011 FIBA Asia.

Norwood’s participation in the national team also dated back to 2007 while Thoss was with Team Phl in the 2009 FIBA Asia joust in Wuhan, China and in the 2012 Jones Cup in Taipei.

Williams has a shot at a return stint with the national team after playing in the Guangzhou Asiad and in the 2011 Asian meet in Wuhan.

Ramos was an alternate in the 2011 Wuhan war while Intal donned the national jersey in the Southeast Asian level.

Meanwhile, Blatche arrived yesterday morning following a long 18-hour flight from Miami and later joined the aspirants’ first official practice.

“The whole trip was okay. I just slept,” Blatche told Gilas team manager Butch Antonio in a Philstar.com story.

“I’m excited and I miss them (Gilas) a lot. We made a quick brotherhood in the short time we had and I can’t wait to see them,” he added.

Blatche, who played for nine seasons in the NBA before he decided to play in China this year, is expected to be with the squad when it flies to Turkey and Estonia two weeks from now to train.

In his last Gilas stint in Spain, Blatche averaged 21.2 points, 13.8 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game. – With report from Joey Villar