Wing man Marcio Lassiter is the latest to get cut out of the Gilas Pilipinas pool as team manager Butch Antonio announced on early Thursday morning the names of the 14 members joining the national team’s European training camp.
Gilas head coach Tab Baldwin had said yesterday that the team’s coaching staff will deliberate about making a decision.
“It will be a brutal decision. I wish it is something I can run away from. It’s part of the job. It’s the worst part of the job. I have done it many times and it never gets easy. I have been in tears making this decision before in my career. It’s terrible. Really terrible,” Baldwin told reporters after Gilas’ 81-70 win over Iran on Wednesday night.
Lassiter’s exclusion leaves Gilas with 14 men: Andray Blatche, Japeth Aguilar, June Mar Fajardo, Marc Pingris, Ranidel de Ocampo, Troy Rosario, Ray Parks, Calvin Abueva, Gabe Norwood, Jeff Chan, Terrence Romeo, Jayson Castro, Ryan Reyes, and LA Tenorio.
Baldwin had shared last night that Gilas even had to send Lassiter home when Lassiter tried to suit up for Gilas practice.
“We sent him home two days ago when he showed up in practice, with instructions to rest and start eating (the told diet). That’s the last instructions we were given,” Baldwin said on Wednesday.
It was reported by Tiebreaker Times earlier in the month that Lassiter has been struggling with bronchitis.
Of the 14 members of the national team pool, nine have been part of the 2014 FIBA World Cup squad. Additionally, seven participated in the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship.
Gilas shall travel to Greece, Turkey, and Italy for their European training camp. The culmination shall be a pocket tournament in Italy.
