THE Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) could be looking at a possible combination of PBA and collegiate players to comprise the Gilas Pilipinas team eyeing to retain the men’s gold medal in the coming Southeast Asian Games in Thailand.
The scenario arose after the PBA Board of Governors, in a meeting on Wednesday, acknowledged that lending players for the Dec. 9-20 biennial meet would be limited since the league’s initial offering for its golden season, the Philippine Cup, will be in the homestretch of the eliminations by then.
The PBA board has approved lending a 'limited number' of players to the Thailand-bound team, according to the league's website.
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Tasked to handle the national squad, pending an official SBP announcement, is Meralco coaching consultant Norman Black, who won a gold medal the last time he coached the Philippines in the SEA Games in 2011 in Jakarta.
Black was also the coach of the PBA-backed Philippine team to the 1994 Hiroshima Asian Games and was an assistant to Robert Jaworski in the first team of PBA players to compete in the Asiad in 1990 in Beijing.
The grand slam champion coach admitted he has been approached by the SBP about the Gilas Pilipinas comeback but has yet to sit down with SBP officials led by president Al Panlilio and executive director Erika Dy.
“The SBP has approached me about handling the SEA Games national team, and I have informed them that I’m willing to take on the challenge,” said Black in a text message from Las Vegas, where he’s conducting the SBP talent identification program along with national coaches LA Tenorio and Patrick Aquino.
Black will briefly take over from Gilas regular head coach Tim Cone, who will be focused on calling the shots for Barangay Ginebra in the All-Filipino conference.
With only a minimum number of players from the PBA who are likely to join the team including naturalized player Justin Brownlee, the rest of the Gilas composition could come from the collegiate ranks, either from the UAAP or NCAA.
Guys like Gerry Abadiano, Nic Cabanero, Kean Baclaan, Allen Liwag, Clint Escamis, Imboy Estrada, Mason Amos and Mike Phillips (assuming his Fiba eligibility is in order), among others, could be considered for inclusion to team up with PBA players whose teams may no longer be in contention during that stretch of the Philippine Cup.
The next UAAP season will start in September and likely end early December, making its players available for the biennial conclave.
Tapping of Gilas players seeing action overseas such as Dwight Ramos, AJ Edu, Carl Tamayo, Kevin Quiambao, and even Rhenz Abando are also likely, but since the SEA Games doesn’t fall under FIBA-sanctioned tournaments, being released by their mother ballclubs during their respective tournaments could not be possible.
If there’s one thing that’s certain, it’s the availability of the 37-year-old Brownlee returning to the regional meet after steering Gilas from regaining the basketball gold in Cambodia two years ago.
The naturalized player would be free to play for the team by then since the PBA will be playing the All-Filipino conference as its season opener beginning on Oct. 5.
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Brownlee though, couldn’t play alongside another naturalized player in Ange Kouame after host Thailand sent a memorandum earlier this year limiting each team from fielding in just a single naturalized player for the meet in accordance to FIBA rules.
Sought for comment on the SEA Games team, Panlilio politely begged off from discussing details until after Gilas' campaign in the Fiba Asia Cup.
"We will decide on this after the Fiba Asia Cup," said Panlilio. "Right now, our focus is on the Fiba Asia Cup."
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