The NBA star and the rest of the nationals must get off to a flying start.
Jordan Clarkson and the rest of Gilas Pilipinas virtually have two weeks to prepare together for the FIBA World Cup. A day after the 2020-21 NBA Sixth Man of the Year awardee arrived in Manila, he and his teammates will have the opportunity to share the court for the first time in this buildup. Just days before, the squad participated in a pocket tournament held in China, while Clarkson worked on his own in the US.
Naturally, with a tight schedule leading up to the global hoops summit, concerns over team chemistry, mainly involving the highly touted naturalized player will arise. Fresh from the pocket tilt, Gilas assistant coach Tim Cone addressed the issue.
“Coach Chot [Reyes] is really a tremendous chemistry-building coach. He really knows how to build chemistry he knows how to do it quickly. He’s one of the best I’ve ever seen do it,” Cone told Martie Bautista of News5.
“I’m not too worried about that. Jordan in the past times he’s been here, he’s been open to coaching and he’s been open with his teammates,” he added.
The winningest coach in the PBA basically assured the people that Gilas headmaster Chot Reyes will be on top of things when it comes to developing rapport within the group. For Gilas wing Rhenz Abando, however, he’s taking it upon himself to make the necessary adjustments, especially because he’s never played with the Utah Jazz gunslinger before.
“Feeling ko, ako 'yung kailangan mag-adjust kasi siya madali na siya mag-a-adjust sa’min. Ako ang kailangan mag-adjust,” Abando said.
Gilas combo guard Bobby Ray Parks Jr. on the other hand, is taking things as a challenge, one that he believes the team will conquer.
“We got practice tomorrow, so. It wasn’t easy. This trip was a test of character. I feel like we learned a lot as a group,” Parks explained after arriving from China on Tuesday.
The FIBA World Cup will tip off on August 25. The first order of business for Gilas is an encounter with NBA All-Star Karl Anthony-Towns and the Dominican Republic.
(With reports from Martie Bautista, News5)
(CF)