Hoop Nut One on One: The Gilas Initiative

With the Gilas Cadets winning the SEABA Championship [READ: Douthit shines as Gilas cadets overpower Singapore, sweep SEABA] and the movie Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron showing in cinemas, the Hoop Nut tag team talk about who will be part of the next Gilas Initiative.

Rolly Mendoza 7:45am
I love watching basketball fundamentals at its finest, and I believe that I saw those in the recent #SEABA2015 tournament. Our Gilas Cadets easily won that tourney going away. I was quite impressed with their games that I wondered how they would do if Kuya Marcus Douthit did not play.

Enzo Flojo 7:55am
I think we’d still win handily w/o Douthit. I actually think our pace slowed down whenever he was there. Here’s a question, though, given how dominant they were in SEABA, you think the Gilas Cadets + Andray Blatche could actually be enough to win the 2015 FIBA Asia tournament?

Send in the Cadets with Blatche for the 2015 FIBA Asia Tournament?

Rolly Mendoza 8:22am
Good point about Douthit slowing down their pace, but he was very good as a defensive anchor plus Kuya Marcus was effective in the low post. Hmmm, Blatche + Cadets to win the FIBA Asia tourney is a daunting task, but the uncertainty excites me a lot! Yes, I think we will have enough to compete and possibly win. Blatche is an upgrade over Douthit and if Gilas utilizes the all-around threat that Blatche brings, we might be looking at a winning formula. What do you think?

Enzo Flojo 9:47am
I think the Cadets could still have dominated SEABA w/o Douthit, but, of course, his presence just put the outcome beyond doubt. I think it will be good to retain maybe 5-6 Cadets and then add Blatche + a handful of pros. It’ll be sort of a balance between really putting a strong team out there and at the same time planting the seeds for the future.

Enzo Flojo 9:48am
I say maybe retain Troy Rosario, Parks, Kiefer, and Belo and then yung iba PBA na + Blatche.

Rolly Mendoza 10:25am
Our main national team definitely needs an infusion of young talent who can fit the system of Coach Tab. I agree with keeping Belo, Ravena, Parks and Rosario.

That’s a great young core. Adding a couple more guys like Scottie Thompson and Kevin Ferrer might help, too. Now, the fun part involves who from the PBA should make the team?

I’ll start by giving three no-brainers: Castro, Fajardo and Slaughter.

Enzo Flojo 11:04am
Oh yeah, Castro, June Mar, and Greg should be there. I’m counting RDO in, too. We need stretch 4s, and he and Rosario can be those guys alongside Dray. How about Paul Lee? Are you Team Lee or Team LA?

Rolly Mendoza 10:51am
RDO should definitely be in the team as well. I think he is out best stretch 4 who can also bang in the low post and defend bigger guys. As for Lee or Tenorio, this should not be up for any debate. Paul Lee all the way.

So, counting the 4 main guys from Gilas Cadets and Blatche plus Castro, Lee, RDO, Junemar and Greg, we already have 10 guys. Who else should be included?

Enzo Flojo 11:44am

I wouldn’t be opposed to adding Kobe Paras, too! So my 12 would be Dray, June Mar, Greg, RDO, Troy, Calvin, Belo/Kobe, Parks, Chan/Lassiter, Lee, Castro, and Kief!!!

Rolly Mendoza 11:52am
Ah interesting choices with Calvin Abueva and Kobe Paras.

However, my last two slots would go to Arwind Santos and Jeff Chan. I like the shooting and slashing that Arwind brings and he can defend some perimeter guys too while Chan is probably our best three-point shooter.

Other choices include Norwood, Lassiter and Lutz.

In any case, I’m sure our team will send the best team possible! Laban Pilipinas!

Who’s your picks for the next incarnation of Gilas Pilipinas? Sound-off in our Comments Section

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