JORDAN Clarkson has yet to practice together with Gilas Pilipinas for the coming Fiba Basketball World Cup, but the Utah Jazz star’s major role with the team has already been defined to him.
Head coach Chot Reyes is in constant communication with the 31-year-old naturalized player and told him what the rest of the team expects from him by the time he arrives in Manila on Aug. 8 and officially join Gilas in training the following day.
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“We’ve been exchanging thoughts and ideas, and he’s accepted it. OK siya, he knows what we want from him and I think he’s up for the challenge, the way he sounds. Alam mo naman yun, you can tell if a person is engaged pag kausap mo,” said Reyes in the Power & Play program of former PBA commissioner Noli Eala on Saturday.
Reyes referred to Clarkson as the No. 1 offensive option of Gilas, but unfortunately couldn’t go with the national team in the China pocket tournament as visa woes hampered his trip to Guandong.
Gilas was supposed to play another game in China and hold a mini-camp had the NBA star made it on time.
“Didiretso na lang siya diyan sa Manila magkikita na lang kami diyan on Aug. 8, pag uwi namin,” said Reyes live from China. “Jordan will just meet us there, and then tuluy-tuloy na kaming magpa-practice from the 9th moving forward.”
But despite the NBA offseason, Clarkson continues to self-train in order to keep himself in shape, according to Reyes.
“We’ve been in constant communication, nag uusap kami. We’re talking about offenses, concepts, about things. I’ve been messaging him about our plans, what his role is going to be, and he’s assured me that he’s in pretty good shape, working out, working on his skills,” said Reyes of his talks with Clarkson.
"The No. 1 thing I can expect is he’s in basketball shape. Maybe not yet in top game shape, but he will have a couple of weeks to get there, and as you know for a player of that caliber, that should be enough in terms of basketball playing ability and game shape.”
Clarkson previously played for Gilas during the fourth window of last year’s World Cup qualifiers in Lebanon and at the Mall of Asia Arena against Saudi Arabia.
“The good thing is he’s not coming in cold, he’s been with us before and knows a little of what we’ve been doing, he knows the guys. Obviously, he still has to familiarize himself with some players na ngayon niya lang makakalaro,” said Reyes.
Of the two games Clarkson played for the Philippines in the qualifiers, those not around were June Mar Fajardo, Roger Pogoy, AJ Edu, Rhenz Abando, and CJ Perez.
“So the issue na lang namin is the integration,” said Reyes.
“But like I said, this is a world class NBA player who averages 20 points in the NBA. So hopefully those concerns could would be laid to rest,“ the Gilas coach added. “But it is a challenge, its something na minamanmanan naming mabuti. Hindi lang yung basketball part but also the team chemistry part. Yun ang malaking bagay.”
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