TULAD ng dapat asahan, kabilang ang Gilas Pilipinas sa matitikas na koponan na sasabak sa 2019 FIBA World Cup.

Magaan ang naging kampanya ng Gilas sa SEABA, ngunit inamin ni coach Chot Reyes na mas mabigat na hamon na kanilang haharapin.

“We know it’s going to be a challenge, it’s going to be difficult,” pahayag ni Reyes.

Aniya, ang lahat ay nakasalalay sa kung anong mapagkakasunduan ng mga taong may kinalaman sa pagkakabuo ng koponan.

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Tinutukoy ni Reyes ang mga miyembro ng pamunuan ng PBA, Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP), at iba pang stakeholder para mapanatili ang katatagan ng Gilas Pilipinas.

“We purposely did not put a concrete plan in place until we won this first. I said, ‘Let’s win this first.’ And now that we know that we’re going to the World Cup qualifiers, we can sit down and put a plan together,” wika ni Reyes pagkaraan ng matagumpay na sweep ng Gilas ng SEABA Men’s Championship.

Wala rin aniyang kasiguruhan kahit ang estado ni naturalized player Andray Blatche.

“We purposely kept the discussion with Andray for the SEABA first because if we didn’t win this, we would have nothing to talk about,” paliwanag ni Reyes.

“So now that we’ve gotten this, we have to sit down to figure out a schedule because he also has a tournament and obligations in the CBA, so we really don’t know what will happen or how that’s going to affect Andray’s schedule.”