Chot admits coming up with final 12 a ‘dread’

Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes was the first to admit that coming up with the final 12 for the Philippine team is becoming a “source of stress” as the clock winds down to the opening night of the 2023 FIBA World Cup, which the Philippines is co-hosting with Japan and Indonesia starting on August 25.

Gilas Pilipinas FIBA PHOTO

Reyes said what makes the decision a “dread” to make was due to the fact that every member from the 16-man pool has worked so hard since they were assembled a few months ago.

“(It's) very, very hard and I'm really dreading that, the time to come, it's a big source of stress for me, obviously because we have to make some difficult decisions,” Reyes told News5.

“All those guys (from the pool) have been with us from way, way back a couple of months. They've done eveything that we asked of them.”

Utah Jazz star Jordan Clarkson is an obvious lock for the naturalized player spot after the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas and Reyes have made an official announcement a month ago that Justin Brownlee will be the Philippines' reinforcement for the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China this September.

Kai Sotto, the 7-foot-3 young slotman, just got cleared to finally join Gilas' full contact practice on Tuesday following SBP president Al Panlilio's official announcement as well at the PSA Forum.

Clarkson and Sotto played together in the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers' fourth window where the Philippines split its matches, losing a narrow contest to Lebanon in Beirut last August, before winning by a big margin against the visiting Saudi Arabia at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The 6-foot-5 Clarkson is coming off another impressive NBA season with the Jazz, and just last July, agreed to re-sign with Utah for a lucrative three-year extension deal worth $55 million according to reports.

Sotto, meanwhile, is coming off a loaded overseas pro career that saw him play for the Hiroshima Dragonflies in the Japan B.League early this year.

He went on to join mini camps with the Dallas Mavericks, Utah Jazz and New York Knicks, before earning a spot in the Orlando Magic's NBA Summer League team. His last game though got cut short after hurting his back in the first half of their game against the Boston Celtics.

Both players missed Gilas' training camp in Europe and the pocket tournament recent in Guangdong, China, though Clarkson and Sotto are expected to just reintegrate themselves into the system and work on team chemistry with the rest of the players in the pool.