Gilas to Play All-Filipino in Asiad

(From the Manila Times)

SMART Gilas Pilipinas will most likely goAll-Filipino when it sees action in the 2010 Asian Games later this November.

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) Executive Director Noli Eala and Gilas head coach Rajko Toroman said National Basketball

Association veteran Jamal Sampson is on the way out because of his inconsistent performance in the recent 21st Dubai International Basketball Tournament.

“We are ready to go all-Filipino in this year’s Asian Games even without a naturalized player,” said Eala, who was also accompanied by Gilas skipper Chris Tiu during Tuesday’s PSA Forum. “We are now planning to talk with him [Jamal] and tell our plans.”

Gilas is coming off a third-place finish in Dubai tourney, where the 6-foot-11 Sampson missed three games including the crucial semifinal encounter against Lebanon because of various “unexplainable reasons.”

“Jamal is very poor and we’re now going to replace him,” said Toroman. “He is a good power player when he played for us in Qatar and there’s one game where he took 19 rebounds, but we need consistency and somebody who plays with heart.”

“The locals proved they can take charge and win against countries reinforced by American imports,” he added.

Eala will ask Gilas team manager Frankie Lim to find a replacement for Sampson before the Asian Games. The SBP official, however, expects the process of naturalization to take time so Gilas may go all Filipino or tap players from the Philippine Basketball Association.

Toroman said he might select two or three players from the PBA led by Paul Asi Taulava of Coca-Cola and Kelly Williams of Sta. Lucia Realty, who have already played for the all-pro national squad in the past.

Eala admitted no other prospects are being eyed to take the place of Sampson, although Tiu added the team is just a good big guy away from being at par with the best of Asia.

“We still need to beef up our big guys. Definitely we need a strong force in the middle to get rebounds and wreck havoc at the defensive end.

“But despite falling short in the end [of the Dubai tournament], the result was very fulfilling because we were able to prove that we can compete with the best in Asia,” said the RP team captain.

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