With more than two weeks remaining before the FIBA World Cup, Gilas Pilipinas is set to fast-track its integration of Jordan Clarkson into the fold.
The Utah Jazz guard arrived in Manila on Tuesday morning, ahead of the national team which is expected to return to the Philippines later today, Tuesday, after a successful stint in China.
With limited time, coach Chot Reyes remains optimistic that Clarkson and the rest of the squad will build team chemistry seamlessly. After all, their offense is centered around JC and they can finally put the pedal on the gas offensively.
"It’s no secret that our offense is not as smooth and polished as we want it to be. A lot of that is because we’re building the offense around Jordan," Reyes told One Sports' Carlo Pamintuan after the final game in China on Monday.
"Just by having him here, hopefully, we can get the offense now to a better place, to a higher level, to a place which we were preparing these past months essentially. We were preparing so that it’s going to be an easy integration for us, for Jordan."
Gilas will still have closed-door tune-up games against other nations before the FIBA World Cup.
Here's to hoping that things click for the boys in blue.
(GM)