GILAS PILIPINAS COACH NORMAN BLACK NAVIGATES SEA GAMES PREP AMID ROSTER ISSUES

MANILA, Philippines -- GIVEN a choice, Gilas Pilipinas coach Norman Black would have wanted to lock his players in for a few days in a training camp, similar to what coach Tim Cone has done in the past as he prepares the national squad for a FIBA tournament.

But the last-minute changes to his roster owing to how Southeast Asian Games host Thailand handled the eligibility rules on players, provided little window for Black to do what is needed in preparing Gilas for its title-retention bid.

“It was easier for coach Cone [to hold a training camp] because when he brings his team together, the guys don’t have other responsibilities,” Black told The Manila Times.By mentioning responsibilities, Black pointed to the PBA team duties of NLEX’s Robert Bolick, Von Pessumal of Titan Ultra, along with Blackwater guard Dalph Panopio and Abu Tratter.NLEX and Blackwater lent their respective players to Black’s Gilas version at the last minute following the Thailand SEA Games organizing committee’s decision to ban naturalized players from playing and then red-tagging original members of the national team like UAAP stars Mike Phillips and Kymani Lady of La Salle and Ateneo, as well as TNT’s Brandon Ganuelas Rosser.Abra Weavers star Dave Ildefonso and Jason Brickman, along with former Kansan Jayhawks Fil-Am guard Remy Martin also dropped out of the roster, leaving Black with more problems to deal with over the past week.But he was grateful that the PBA came to the rescue with NLEX and Blackwater lending their key players, despite being in the middle of a fight to contend for the playoffs in the ongoing Season 50 Philippine Cup.“Some of my players play in the PBA today, and I don’t think I can pull them out to take them to [a camp in the] province,” Black explained.“So they play and practice with their teams first. That’s part of the agreement. They are coming from the PBA,” he added. “So when they go to Thailand, they will miss games. And we’re grateful for that sacrifice for the [PBA] teams, too, because they are actually losing players.”Panopio and Tratter will miss two crucial games for the Bossing when they clash with powerhouse PBA squads San Miguel Beer (SMB) on Dec. 13, followed by the TNT Tropang 5G on Dec. 19.Blackwater, entering Wednesday’s crucial tiff with Barangay Ginebra, holds an anemic 1-7 record, its playoff hopes already hanging in the balance.Bolick will also two important matches for the Road Warriors, who will take on the Tropang 5G on Dec. 13, followed by Converge on Dec. 17.NLEX still has an inside track for a top 4 finish, carrying a similar 6-3 card with Magnolia and Converge as of posting time, good for third to fifth spots.Rain or Shine and SMB are 1-2 in the standings with their 7-2 and 6-2 records, respectively.Meanwhile, Pessumal  will miss just one game for the Giant Risers who will tangle with the Phoenix Fuel Masters on Dec. 14.

2025-12-10T08:29:44Z