Gilas mulls series versus NBA stars

JAKARTA – Smart Gilas Pilipinas yesterday decided to cancel its scheduled trips to Turkey and Portugal due to manpower problem and considered inviting a select NBA team instead as part of its buildup for the FIBA Asia Championship.

“We have some player problems because some of our PBA reinforcement are with their mother teams and some of those remaining are injured,” said Smart Gilas coach Rajko Toroman. “So we’ve decided to skip the Turkey and Portugal trips entirely because we will have a few players to bring there.”

He added: “Maybe we’ll play an NBA selection team but I still don’t know the players who are coming yet.”

Toroman said he wants his wards to play a couple of exhibition matches against an NBA selection team as an alternative to the cancelled European trip.

There were reports that Smart Gilas is luring a blockbuster cast headed by two-time scoring champion Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma Thunder, reigning MVP Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls and current slam dunk king Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers.

Sources said that Smart Gilas is coordinating with former All-Star Chris Webber, who visited and played a game in the Philippines last year, to bring in these stars should an NBA lockout occurs.

The NBA and the players are currently locked in a new collective bargaining agreement.

The same sources added that part of the package reportedly includes Kevin Love of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Mario Chalmers of the Miami Heat and Andrei Igoudala of the Philadelphia Sixers.

Smart Gilas is currently competing with a depleted roster in the SEABA tournament here for a berth in the FIBA Asia meet, which serves as the qualifier for the 2012 London Olympics.

Pros Asi Taulava of Meralco, Air21’s Dondon Hontiveros and Talk n Text’s Kelly Williams and Jimmy Alapag have all opted to stick it out with their respective PBA teams and would only join the Nationals after the PBA Governors Cup.

The team is also missing the services of Greg Slaughter and Aldrech Ramos, who are both set to play with Ateneo and Far Eastern U, respectively, in the UAAP.

Marcio Lassiter, who failed to see action in the Filipinos 97-71 rout of the Malaysians in Thursday’s opener due to an acute back injury, flew back to Manila, leaving Smart Gilas with just nine men.

The undermanned Filipinos are currently playing the Indonesians, who hurdled the Singaporeans Thursday night, at presstime.

“We’ll have him checked back in Manila and we hope it heals fast,” said head of delegation Butch Antonio.

Joey Villar, Philippine Star