Former NBA veteran Andray Blatche who is currently playing in the Chinese Basketball Association has committed 100% to Gilas Pilipinas in its FIBA Asia Championship campaign this year. He is expected to join Gilas Pilipinas and will be in Manila near the end of the PBA Governors’ Cup to join the team’s practice ahead of the Olympic qualifier.
In an interview with sports website, Spin.ph, Gilas Pilipinas coach Tab Baldwin toldy Richard Dy that the Filipinos expect to get him here in the country virtually before going on to the training camp. Coach Baldwin was quoted as saying ““I want to get him here virtually before we go to the (training) camp, or maybe a little bit before that. Hopefully, before the end of the third conference,” Baldwin said.
Andray Blatche’s experience in China is helpful to Gilas Pilipinas as he already familiar with the Chinese players and China’s brand of basketball while playing for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers.
The FIBA Asia Championwhip is slated to take place in China this coming September, the competition will determine who among the country’s in Asia who will represent the region in the Olympic Games basketball compeition.
During the stint of Andray Blatche for Gilas Pilipinas after he was granted with naturalization, he averaged 21.2 points, 13.8 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game in a total of five games at the World Cup. The Philippines ended their campaign with a 1-4 win-loss card with their only victory against the African team Senegal.
