Will you still love me tomorrow

#WhatIf
(Photo credit: spin.ph)

Twenty-four names forming the Gilas Pilipinas pool were given to FIBA by head coach Tab Baldwin early this year. By now, we all know that he has trimmed it to 14 and will most likely cut two more names (or put them on the FIBA OQT reserve list). And, while we do not want to throw shade at any of the 14 men who made the cut, we just wanted to take this opportunity to see where those who did not make it stand.

The Replacement : Moala Tautuaa
Tautuaa has always been considered as “Naturalized Player Plan B” should Andray Blatche not return in game shape for Gilas. Some have reported that Tautuaa was supposed to reinforce the Cadet squad in the a FIBA-sanctioned tournament recently held in Thailand, but opted to go on break instead. As a basketball fan and patriot, that is kind of off-setting. But Tautuaa probably had his reasons, and in his place Troy Rosario basically killed it as the Cadets’ senior, local, reinforcement.



The Cadets: Kevin Ferrer, Kiefer Ravena, Roger Pogoy, Russel Escoto, Mac Belo, Mike Tolomia
They weren’t being paid for the practices (as far as we know), they do not have a responsibility to anyone but themselves, they are even putting to risk being drafted in the 2016 PBA Draft and the fame and fortune that goes with it—all just to play for flag and country. They will all have their turn, as painful as it was to see Ravena sitting on the bench in the Gilas seniors’ tune-up match versus Iran. If reports are correct, the Cadets will sign three-year deals with the SBP to stay with the program and basically “graduate” into the seniors’ team for future FIBA competitions.

The Stars: For this one, we’ll have to go a bit deeper.

Greg Slaughter – this guy, along with Junemar Fajardo, is the future of Philippine basketball. He is 7”0, has a high basketball IQ to go along with a consistent 20-10 output in the PBA. Yes, he is painfully slow. Yes, he is not as dominant one-on-one as Fajardo, but a skilled 7”0 is a rarity in these parts.
Final 14 player he would have replaced: Troy Rosario

Matt Ganuelas-Rosser – with the inclusion of Calvin Abueva and later Ray Ray Parks, Jr., Rosser quickly became the odd man out of the Gilas pool. While he is one of the more versatile wings in the PBA,  there is still a lot of room to grow for Rosser and hopefully he will be able to showcase his skills for Gilas in the future.
Final 14 player he would have replaced: None

Paul Lee – as a Pinoy basketball fan, we cannot be help but be upset about the fact that we were robbed of a Lee- Jayson Castro backcourt; which in essence would be the Gilas version of a prime Jayjay Helterbrand-Mark Caguioa tandem. He says he’s hurt, that his knee had to be constantly drained during his PBA team’s run to the championship just last conference. Being an RoS fan, we could verify this for you though Lee was nothing short of spectacular in the Finals. This guy soldiered on when he got his teeth knocked inside his own gums just a year ago. So we will give him the benefit of a doubt and wish he recovers. Unfortunately, there are a boat load of guards who are ready to take his place so getting back into the Gilas program might be tricky.
Final 14 player he would have replaced: L.A. Tenorio (same clutch gene, in a bigger, more attack-happy package)

Marcio Lassiter – how many times has this former and original Gilas member begged off? Be it a sick relative, injury and now, bronchitis, Lassiter almost always declines so why do we even bother with him? Sure, he is arguably the sharpest shooter in the PBA today. But something’s amiss here and maybe it’s time to move on from Lassiter and look elsewhere—which Coach Tab et. al. did with their 14-man pool announcement, but not without holding the door open for Lassiter should he wish to suit up halfway into Gilas’ final, Euro-training camp preparation.
Final 14 player he would have replaced: Jeffrei Chan (better on defense)

Which player do you think would be missed the most by Gilas for the FIBA OQT, and who could’ve benefited from being part of the program?