COACH Chot Reyes is using the Heyuan WUS International Basketball Tournament to test out possible backcourt combinations in the event injured Scottie Thompson doesn’t make it in time for the Fiba Basketball World Cup.
Aside from Dwight Ramos, Kiefer Ravena, and Chris Newsome, the Gilas coaching staff is also taking a look at CJ Perez to be another option at point guard for the national team.
Playmaking duties possible for Gilas swingman
“We were trying to have CJ as the other point guard to play that role,” said Reyes of the ploy when he let the high-scoring San Miguel stalwart called the play for Gilas during some stretches of its match against Senegal.
Of course, the hope is still to have the 6-foot-1 Thompson come on board when the team returns to Manila for the final three weeks of its preparation before the World Cup takes off on August 25.
The team opted to leave Thompson behind in Manila as he continues to recuperate from a right metacarpal fracture he suffered while in training camp with Gilas in Europe.
But the reigning PBA MVP continues to work on his game while rehabilitating as shown in reels where he can be seen practicing in the gym shooting with his left hand.
“Week by week kasi yung kay Scottie depending on how his healing progresses. But remember, he is our starting point guard,” Reyes told the weekly program Power&Play hosted by former PSC chairman Noli Eala.
“But right now, we’re preparing for the eventuality na di talaga siya umabot.”
See Chot confident Clarkson in basketball shape when he links up with Gilas
The national team is expected to be back in the country by Aug. 8 once it caps its campaign in the China pocket tournament.
By then, it hopes to have in the lineup another point guard not named Scottie Thompson.
“We also have another point guard na wala pa rito. His name is Jordan, Ang initial niya is JC,” said Reyes, obviously alluding to NBA star Jordan Clarkson, who’s also arriving in Manila on Tuesday.
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