Push Admin

Article (news)

Why Abueva didn’t make the cut

ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/news-special1/sports/6/28/062816-abueva.jpg"/><figcaption><div class="embed-desc">Calvin Abueva. <em>Photo courtesy of the PBA Media Bureau</em></div></figcaption></figure></div><p>Gilas Pilipinas coach Tab Baldwin said he understands the outrage of local basketball fans about the national team’s final line-up, particularly the non-inclusion of fan favorite Calvin Abueva.</p><p>Baldwin arrived in Manila on Tuesday night together with the national team, two days after he announced the final 12 players who will represent the Philippines in the coming FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.</p><p>The players who didn’t make it to the list were LA Tenorio and Abueva. But it was Abueva’s exclusion that caused the fans’ uproar.</p><p>“I understand that Calvin has a passionate following. There&#x27;s no question about that. People love him,” Baldwin told reporters at the NAIA Terminal 1. “That is so representative of the Philippine way of playing basketball.”</p><p>“[But] the decision&#x27;s had to be made. And it&#x27;s always tough.”</p><p>Baldwin explained that they had to assemble a squad that will be tailor-made to face France and New Zealand, teams the Gilas will have to beat in the first round of the tournament.</p><p>“It&#x27;s not the best 12 players, it&#x27;s not the most valuable 12 players,” he said. “It&#x27;s the players that we believe match what we need to do in this particular OQT.”</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/news-special1/sports/6/28/062816-baldwin.jpg"/><figcaption><div class="embed-desc">Gilas coach Tab Baldwin explains why Calvin Abueva wasn&#x27;t included in the Final 12.</div></figcaption></figure></div><p>The American-Kiwi coach explained that height was a big consideration in their selection. Another factor is each player’s ability to play cohesively with the team to make the squad a solid unit.</p><p>“All of our players are great ambassadors for the game and they&#x27;re great representatives of themselves and their PBA teams. But they also bring their unique skill set to the team. So we just felt the guys that we picked had the most blendable skill sets to make a strongest team possible,” said Baldwin.</p><p>The coach also said that Abueva still has potential to improve as a player and he seriously hopes so.</p><p>“Hopefully Calvin continues to evolve as a player as he did in the last two years and really develop the guard skills that he needs to be able to play at this level,” said Baldwin.</p><p>“Against this level of competition, he&#x27;s only a shooting guard at best.”</p><p>(For more sports coverage, visit the <a href="http://sports.abs-cbn.com/" target="_blank">ABS-CBN Sports website.</a>)</p>

Gilas Pilipinas coach Tab Baldwin said he understands the outrage of local basketball fans about the national team’s final line-up, particularly the non-inclusion of fan favorite Calvin Abueva.