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Tapping NBA talent not an option now for Gilas with new FIBA format

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Dominic Menor, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2017/tvpatrol/05/05/andray-blatche.jpg"/><figcaption><div class="embed-desc">Without a backup naturalized player, Gilas Pilipinas has had to rely on Andray Blatche for reinforcement. <cite>Courtesy of the PBA Media Bureau, file</cite></div></figcaption></figure></div>The names Jordan Clarkson and former Los Angeles Lakers forward Ryan Kelly would be welcome additions to Gilas Pilipinas as it chases a berth in the 2019 FIBA World Cup.But because Clarkson and Kelly play in the National Basketball Association, their chances of suiting up for the Philippines are likely nil.The reason? The qualifying tournaments for the World Cup will conflict with the NBA season.ABS-CBN News spoke to Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas vice-chairman Robbie Puno on Thursday seeking comment on the <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/05/02/17/irate-chot-reyes-says-andray-blatche-absence-from-gilas-unacceptable">status</a> of Andray Blatche and the system of naturalizing foreign players as Blatche continues to miss Gilas practice.Basketball officials were expecting Blatche to plane in from the US Friday. (He hasn&#x27;t arrived as of posting time.) Gilas has been deep in <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/05/02/17/9-days-before-seaba-chot-says-gilas-way-way-far-from-being-ready">training</a> preparing for the Southeast Asian Basketball Association Championship, which begins next week.Puno said he and Gilas head coach Chot Reyes discussed 4 candidates for naturalization as a second option to Blatche — long-time PBA import Denzel Bowles, former Laker and current Atlanta Hawk Kelly, Donté Greene of TNT, and Greg Smith of Blackwater.But Bowles <a href="http://www.spin.ph/basketball/pba/news/tnt-katropa-insists-team-paid-in-full-denzel-bowles-after-sacking-controversial-import">parted ways</a> with TNT, his last team, not in the best of the terms, leaving him out of contention.Puno said he was “very happy to hear” that Kelly, a 6-foot-11 forward who can shoot from long distance, was considered, but the problem is Kelly currently plays in the NBA.It&#x27;s an issue because, unlike in previous years in which continental qualifiers for the World Cup (formerly known as the world championship) were played out over the course of a couple of weeks, future <a href="http://www.fiba.com/FBWC2019/AsianQualifiersENG.pdf" target="_blank">qualifying tournaments</a> will be spread out over months using multiple rounds and a home-and-away format.In Asia, the 1st round of qualifiers will be held in November and February 2018 and the 2nd round in November 2018 and February 2019, which run simultaneously with the NBA regular season.Puno said the reality is “if the player is in the NBA, he doesn’t have the ability to leave the NBA and play in the home-and-away system of FIBA.”It’s even more impossible to get a player of Clarkson’s caliber to play for Gilas, because the higher the player’s value is to his mother club, the lower his odds are of being permitted to leave.Because Team USA’s roster is made up of all-NBA names, the format change hurts the Americans the most.In an <a href="http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/19293500/usa-basketball-use-nba-development-league-players-qualify-2019-fiba-world-cup" target="_blank">article</a> that appeared on ESPN on Tuesday, USA Basketball said it will form either a team of NBA D-Leaguers or players who see action in non-NBA competition for the FIBA World Cup qualifiers.Puno isn’t entertaining thoughts that Clarkson would be able to join Gilas, even though the Lakers swingman is <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/04/11/17/why-jordan-clarkson-still-cant-suit-up-for-gilas">eager to</a>.“My opinion is no (he won’t play for Gilas), because (Clarkson) is an NBA player. And as an NBA player, he would not be available for the FIBA home-and-away format,” Puno said.<div>Seaba competition nothing to sneeze at</div><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2017/tvpatrol/05/05/robbie-puno.jpg"/><figcaption><div class="embed-desc">Robbie Puno, vice-chairman of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, wants the strongest Gilas Pilipinas team possible playing in next week&#x27;s Seaba after receiving reports that other federations are seriously beefing up their lineups. <cite>Courtesy of PBA Media Bureau, file</cite></div></figcaption></figure></div>While Greene is <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/03/28/17/new-tnt-import-could-be-a-candidate-for-naturalization">open</a> to becoming a Filipino, Smith has emerged as the <a href="http://www.spin.ph/basketball/fiba/news/inside-outside-game-youth-attitude-make-greg-smith-ideal-for-gilas-says-reyes">frontrunner</a> for naturalization.But the process of naturalizing a player takes time; in Smith’s case, it could drag on past August, the month when the tougher FIBA Asia Cup gets underway.To get to the FIBA Asia Cup, Gilas needs to win next week’s Southeast Asian Basketball Association Championship, which takes place at Araneta Coliseum.The Philippines has been untouchable in Seaba, in the past rarely sending its best players and still ending up winning the tournament with little resistance.But Reyes and SBP are leaving no stone unturned in the 6-day competition that begins on May 12 mainly because other countries are <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/04/11/17/gilas-coaches-expect-seaba-rivals-to-feature-naturalized-players">reportedly</a> adding their own naturalized players.“Initially when we were talking, we thought that there would be no matchup need for a naturalized player,” said Puno, who <a href="http://www.manilatimes.net/house-approves-blatches-naturalization/81627/" target="_blank">authored</a> the Lower House bills that paved the way for American citizens Blatche and Marcus Douthit to become Filipino citizens.“But in light of the inputs where we found out that there are others in Southeast Asia that have been looking to naturalize, nakakatakot.”Which brings the issue back to Blatche.Puno has lobbied for the <a href="http://www.foxsportsasia.com/news/new-sbp-vice-chair-robbie-puno-bats-pool-naturalized-players-gilas/" target="_blank">formation</a> of a pool of naturalized players to give Gilas more flexibility.With the possibility of having a second naturalized player by August remote and getting an NBA player with Filipino roots out of the question, Blatche&#x27;s participation not only in Seaba but also in the immediate international tournaments thereafter has become all the more crucial.“It became evident to us immediately that,” Puno said, “given the timetable, Blatche at this point is our only option for a naturalized player.”In the wake of Reyes airing his frustration over Blatche’s absence earlier week, Puno expects the SBP, as it should, to get behind Reyes whatever he decides to do with the Gilas roster.“It’s disappointing that it’s coming to a head this way, but the support for Chot Reyes is going to have to be there,” Puno said.“In other words, if he wants to go all Filipino, that’s something the SBP will have to support. He’s the coach. He’s the one who chooses the players. It’s that simple.”For more sports coverage, visit the <a href="http://sports.abs-cbn.com/" target="_blank"> ABS-CBN Sports website</a>.

SBP vice-chairman Robbie Puno dishes on the federation's plans to naturalize another foreign player, its support for Chot Reyes and the challenge of navigating the reformatted FIBA schedule.

SBP vice-chairman Robbie Puno dishes on the federation's plans to naturalize another foreign player, its support for Chot Reyes and the challenge of navigating the reformatted FIBA schedule.

Tapping NBA talent not an option now for Gilas with new FIBA format

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Tapping NBA talent not an option now for Gilas with new FIBA format

Dominic Menor,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 05, 2017 11:19 AM PHT

Read More:

Gilas Pilipinas

Seaba

FIBA Asia Cup

Andray Blatche

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas

FIBA

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