Gilas 2 on hold

Sa tagal mag practice ng Gilas 2,
baka manlamig na ng tuluyan ung kamay nito

The coach has been named, the players' identified and signed (except for those affiliated with the San Miguel brand) so why are we no longer hearing any updates on the SMART Gilas 2 squad?

Oh, that's right, most of the prominent names on the SG2 roster are going to participate in the grand PBA Commissioner's Cup Finals in hopes of securing a championship for their mother teams. These are times when the "Mother Land" takes a back seat then, when the players are asked and under contract to play their hearts out for the brands they wear on their jerseys and puts food on their tables.


It's not their fault really, since this scenario was inevitable. To win in the FIBA tournament we need to send the best players RIGHT NOW, not the best in maybe three or five years when/ after they're rigorously trained and exposed to international competition. And it just so happens that the best players, no matter how you look at it or who you're money's on, are all in the PBA.

Fortunately, most of the SG2 guys are from the Talk 'n' Text Tropang Texters-- something that allows us some semblance of assurance that hey, these guys have chemistry going into whichever tournament awaits. Jimmy Alapag, Jayson Castro, Ryan Reyes, Larry Fonacier, Kelly Williams and Ranidel de Ocampo are all cornerstones and locks as possible starters save for maybe a guy or two.  We'll just have to live with that scenario for the time being until after the Finals or when Coach Chot Reyes starts calling out the troops.

Two other members are playing for the BMeg Llamados squad-- James Yap and Marc Pingris, so at the very least, the Texters-Gilas core will be able to test and push their future teammates to the hilt. That, or the Finals becomes too competitive that bad blood forms between both teams (they already have legit history being from Team SMC and Team MVP) and the players are pulled out.

Speaking of pulling out, the San Miguel boys other than Ginebra's Enrico Villanueva have yet to commit to the National cause. Chris Lutz, James Yap, Arwind Santos and Alex Cabagnot haven't signed their letter of intent. Another guy, Marcio Lassiter, has also opted to wait it out before signing with Gilas for the 2nd time.

What's bothersome is, whoever's temporarily in charge of the Gilas 2 squad while Coach Chot is busy with his mother PBA team has made no countermeasures to put fans at ease. What's so hard about naming an extra three to four guys outside of the San Miguel fold? There are a lot of talent still to choose from, so the least they could have done is call some guys out "just in case."

Make no mistake about it, we're not hating on the Gilas 2 coaching staff, management or even players. It's just sad that after making the Men's Basketball National Team relevant again the last five years-- which is a big reason why the PBA is enjoying another banner year, they seem to be dropping the ball a bit and not following up as before. After all, in the end, it's still:

One dream, one country.