May 30, 2016
Countdown to Manila OQT: 36 days
After seeing Andray Blatche perform in his first two practices with Gilas Pilipinas, head coach Tab Baldwin said the naturalized player “is in good shape.”
“Good. He looks good. It is a different Andray than last year,” Baldwin said after Gilas’ Sunday practice session.
The mentor also spoke highly of Blatche’s work ethic, saying although Blatche is not yet in top form, it is very manageable and the team has more than a month to become even better as a whole.
“The great thing about Andray is his attitude. He does love this group of guys, this environment. Two years ago, we got a great player. Last year we got a guy out of shape but still gave everything he had,” Baldwin said.
“This year, he is in good shape. He is not in peak condition but we have five weeks to get him there. He is in good shape. He has obviously done the work back home so there is no waiting around now.
“We are moving forward. His commitment is where it is always at. He is just going to get better and we are going to get better.”
Blatche, meanwhile, reiterated that he is focused on the present and not on the past.
“I am not here to talk about last year. Our focus is this year and moving forward. Last year is over,” Blatche said, adding he did extra work after the CBA season to maintain game shape.
Looking ahead, Blatche said Gilas has to be at its best given the topnotch competition the squad will face in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in July.
“(The tune-ups) should let us know where we’re at. That’s a good team. Times are different. Teams are going to be better than the ones in FIBA Asia. Everything has to be, we have to be as one. We have no time for silly plays, turnovers,” he said.
“The competition level is much more higher. The stakes are higher, this is our second chance.”
