Smart Gilas will take the game seriously

Source : Nelson Beltran PhilStar

Smart Gilas

MANILA, Philippines - Smart Gilas Pilipinas will have the 2011 Fiba Asia championship in mind in taking on the Kobe Bryant-led NBA selection Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum.

he Nationals wont treat the game as mere exhibition but a serious business that could help them in their buildup for the coming Asian joust that stakes a slot to the 2012 London Olympics.

For the Nationals, Bryant would be Lebanese workhorse Fadi El-Khatib, Kevin Durant Iranian hotshot Nikka Bahrami, Chris Paul Chinese ace guard Sun Yue and Derrick Rose Jordan star Sam Daghles.

“We’ll play our game. We’ll try our best to be competitive to give them a tough time,” said Smart Gilas coach Rajko Toroman.

“We’ll be very serious. We’ll make the most out of it to help us in our preparation for the Fiba Asia,” Toroman added.

The Ultimate All-Star Weekend is held in part really to help the Nationals in their Fiba Asia buildup following cancellation of their planned European tour.

With this game being played here, Smart Gilas will have the opportunity to play with its PBA reinforcements in Asi Taulava, Dondon Hontiveros, Jimmy Alapag, Kelly Williams and recent addition Ranidel de Ocampo.

Taulava and Hontiveros are already allowed to join the Nationals on full-time basis but not Alapag, Williams and De Ocampo whose team Talk n Text is still playing in the season-ending PBA Governors Cup.

“We’ll play with a complete roster and we can probably see our potential in this game,” said Toroman.

Though the NBA stars don’t practice together being from different NBA teams, Toroman expects them to give the Nationals the ultimate test.

“They’re the best in the world. It’s so difficult to beat them,” said Toroman.

Win or lose, Toroman, however, believes the game would help them a great deal.

Next up for the Nationals is the William Jones Cup in Taipei then possibly a four-team meet among Smart Gilas, Iran, Macedonia and Qatar in Doha on Aug. 24-28.

“I hope the Doha tournament pushes through. It’s a perfect time for us since the PBA would be over and we would have all our players at our disposal by then,” said Toroman.

At present, only Marcus Douthit, Chris Tiu, Mark Barroca, Mac Baracael, Japeth Aguilar, Jayvee Casio, Marcius Lassiter, Chris Lutz, Jason Ballesteros, Dylan Ababou are the Gilas regulars.