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    Why Calvin Abueva isn't a good fit for international play, according to Rajko

    As good as he is, Abueva doesn't tick any of the boxes for a player you want for Gilas, says Toroman
    Jul 3, 2021
    PHOTO: fiba.basketball

    TALENTED and ferocious as Calvin Abueva may be, former Gilas Pilipinas coach Rajko Toroman doesn’t see him thriving in international basketball.

    Toroman, 66, admitted not being a fan of the eccentric Magnolia Hotshots forward, although he sees the one-time national stalwart as truly a great talent who can dominate in domestic competition.

    The Serbian coach explains why he doesn't see the 6-foot-2 Abueva having the same impact with Gilas in terms of international competitions.

    “He’s a good player, no doubt. But there is a big difference between international and domestic competitions,” said Toroman in a special guest appearance in the SPIN Zoom In where he was asked if Abueva could be added to the young national team pool being trained by coach and project director Tab Baldwin which recently capped its campaign in both the qualifiers of the FIBA Asia Cup and Tokyo Olympics.

    Calvin Abueva with Gilas.

    Abueva may be one of the best rebounders in the PBA at the moment, yet his lack of size, according to Toroman, could pose big matchup problems international play.

    “He is undersized for every position he is playing, 4 and 3, you know. He is a great rebounder in domestic competition, but internationally…,” said Toroman, the coach of the original Smart Gilas Pilipinas program, without elaborating.

    To be fair to Abueva, the 'Beast' did well during his spell with Gilas Pilipinas under both Baldwin and predecessor Chot Reyes. He was part of the 2015 team that finished runner-up in the Jones Cup, and replicated the feat in the FIBA Asia Men’s Championship (now Asia Cup) later in the year.

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      The former NCAA MVP averaged 8.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 0.7 assists at an average of just 16.5 minutes over nine games when Baldwin steered a Gilas side with much less talent all the way to the finals of the Fiba Asia Cup.

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      Oddly, Baldwin left out Abueva in the final roster for the 2016 Olympic Qualifying Tournament held here as the final two cuts along with LA Tenorio.

      He eventually made his way back to the team when Reyes returned to the Gilas coaching job in 2017.

      Unfortunately, Abueva got involved in the infamous brawl between Gilas and Australia during the 2018 World Cup qualifier. Of the 10 members of the national team suspended by FIBA in the aftermath of the scuffle, the former NCAA MVP from San Sebastian was meted the longest suspension of six games owing to previous involvement in altercations in FIBA-sanctioned tournaments.

      Calvin Abueva with Gilas.

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      Toroman didn’t comment on Abueva’s on-court behavior, but thinks there are other aspects of his game which he believes would not be to the benefit of Gilas Pilipinas.

      “He’s not a great shooter,” said the veteran Serbian coach, now the current mentor of the Indonesian men’s basketball team.

      “He has a heart and he will shoot some 3s,” added Toroman, who steered Iran to the Beijing Olympics in 2008 after previously leading the team to the title of the FIBA Asia Men’s Championship a year before. “I think internationally, he will not be effective like in a domestic competition.”

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        PHOTO: fiba.basketball
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