NOT a few readers have been wondering if Terrence Romeo will ever get a Gilas Pilipinas call-up again, the clamor growing louder after longtime starting point guard Jayson Castro begged off from selection for 'personal reasons.'
The flamboyant San Miguel guard was a mainstay in the national team during Chot Reyes' time in charge but hasn't been recalled since Gilas reassembled after that infamous brawl with Australia that cost Romeo a three-game suspension in Fiba events.
But tapping Romeo now makes a lot of sense, granting he can recover from his Achilles injury in time for the Fiba World Cup. The San Miguel star is one of the best guards in the PBA and is perhaps next only to Castro in terms of creating his own shots and scoring in bunches.
When SPIN.ph started asking questions, we learned that national coach Yeng Guiao's mind is not entirely closed to the idea of calling up Romeo, especially after Blackwater rookie Ray Parks declined an invitation to join his pool.
So why has Romeo not received a call yet?
The reasons, we heard, have something to do with both chemistry and style.
One, Guiao's system is anchored on unselfish play and constant ball movement. Bringing in Romeo, who is most effective when he has the ball, means Guiao will have to make some concessions that may not sit well with the other players.
Castro demands the same amount of touches, you might say. But Castro commands respect from the other national players, something Romeo still has to earn. The veteran TNT guard has also proven time and again that he delivers in the clutch.
Two, remember that Romeo's departure from TNT in an offseason trade to San Miguel wasn't exactly cordial. In fact, stories of bad blood between Romeo and some teammates came out of the KaTropa camp in the days after the trade.
Bringing in Romeo, therefore, means reuniting him with TNT players RR Pogoy, Troy Rosario and Castro. If these players don't see eye-to-eye as rumors claim, will they be willing to set that aside for the sake of flag and country at the Fiba World Cup?
Therefore, bringing in Romeo means Guiao will run the risk of ruining that chemistry which he painstakingly tried to establish after taking over from Reyes - and which this new group finally found when it defied the odds in the sixth and final window of the qualifiers to punch a ticket to the World Cup.
So when Guiao and his coaching staff weigh the pros and cons of a Romeo call-up, the chances are they won't like the odds.
But then again, Guiao is an unconventional coach. Always was. Always will be. The fiery coach also isn't afraid of taking risks. So while we can say that a Romeo call-up at this time is unlikely, we can't be totally sure about his plans.
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