CHOT WANTS COMMITMENT FROM POOL

GILAS Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes opened the national team's initial practice for the 2023 FIBA World Cup with a straight-to-the-point challenge that requires members of the pool a full commitment amid the grueling schedule ahead.

"My opening message today was simple: Are you willing to go through the entire training without the assurance that you'll make the final 12? That's the commitment we're asking from everyone," Reyes told the Manila Times shortly after the conclusion of Wednesday's first closed-door practice at the Meralco gym.

At least 14 of the 21-member pool showed up in the team's first practice led by six-time PBA Most Valuable Player June Mar Fajardo and his San Miguel Beer teammate CJ Perez. TNT's Roger Pogoy and Poy Erram, Japan B.League imports Kiefer Ravena, Thirdy Ravena, Bobby Ray Parks, and Carl Tamayo, Barangay Ginebra's Japeth Aguilar and Scottie Thompson, Meralco's Chris Newsome, Korean League import Rhenz Abando, naturalized slotman Ange Kouame and AJ Edu were also in attendance.

Naturalized player and Ginebra resident import Justin Brownlee is currently in the US to attend the graduation of his son, but is expected to rejoin the national squad next week.

Reyes said the members of the training pool didn't do much for its first day of practice.

"Nothing much, [but we did] mostly shooting. Full practices start [next] Monday," he added.

The 6-foot-10 Fajardo and Pogoy are still recovering from their respective injuries, which they sustained during the PBA Governors' Cup last season. Fajardo is recovering and rehabbing his MCL (medial collateral ligament) injury on his knee, while Pogoy fractured his pinky during the PBA Governors' Cup Finals.

Utah Jazz star Jordan Clarkson, one of the Philippine team's three naturalized players, is expected to join the team during the course of the FIBA World Cup buildup, while 7-foot-2 Kai Sotto is currently on a mini camp with the Dallas Mavericks.

Gilas Pilipinas is slated to leave the country by the end of June and will play a series of tuneup matches versus the national teams of Estonia, Finland, Latvia and possibly the under-21 team of Lithuania.

The 2023 FIBA World Cup begins on August 25.

2023-06-08T18:24:18Z dg43tfdfdgfd