MANILA, Philippines — It may just a simple advice, but Gilas Pilipinas veteran guard Jayson Castro said he got valuable pointers from Jordanian import Sam Daghles during the latter’s stint with Talk n Text in the PBA Governors Cup last season.
And so far, whatever improvement people saw from him in the William Jones Cup and the just-concluded Master Game Face-MVP Cup was a product of Daghles’ advice.
“Naituro niya (Daghles) sa akin, yung kung paano yung court awareness kasi pagdating sa international (games), lahat scouted,” Castro said.
Daghles, considered one of Asia’s top guards at the turn of the 21st Century, shared back court duties with Castro in the season-ending Governors Cup, where he averaged 10.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists.
Meantime, the 5-foot-8 combo guard out of Philippine Christian University, has stepped up the plate and served as Gilas’ lead guard, a spot he used to share with Jimmy Alapag and Ginebra playmaker LA Tenorio in the national team the last two years.
But with Alapag failing to make the final 12 due to his quad injury, and Tenorio, opting not to join Gilas this year, Castro is expected to carry a lot of responsibilities at the backcourt — a task he’s willing to accept.
The "Blur" though reiterated that everybody will have specific roles to play as Gilas tries to win the FIBA Asia men’s championships and hopefully, punch a ticket to the Olympics next year in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
“Ngayong nandiyan na si Andray (Blatche), inaayos na lang namin yung ball movement namin at kung paano ma-involve si Andray. Kasi sa Jones Cup, nasanay kami na wala siya, though sa second and third game namin (in the MVP Cup), medyo nakuha na namin,” explained Castro, adjudged as one the best guards in the 2013 FIBA Asia edition in Manila.
Castro added that the addition of young guard Terrence Romeo from GlobalPort brought additional scoring threat to Gilas in the Asian men’s championships.
“Knowing him (Romeo), he can create his own shots saka ang maganda lang sa kanya, nagtatanong tanong pa siya kung ano puwede pa niya ma-improve,” he said.
The 29-year-old Gilas combo guard has also served as one of Romeo’s mentors, guiding the GlobalPort shooting guard in their ongoing stint with the national squad.
“Ina-advisan namin siya, di lang naman ako. Kailangan niya lang mag-improve siya on decision making kasi once naka-drive siya, kahit minsan open ang corner, ino-all the way, pa niya, pero sa game (against Chinese Taipei) and sa New Zealand, maganda naman,” he added.
Gilas is currently in seclusion in Mandaue City, Cebu for its weeklong training camp.