The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) is rolling out the red carpet for Jordan Clarkson and Kai Sotto, two players it believes will serve as the gamechanger in Gilas Pilipinas’ buildup for the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
Clarkson, a vital cog in the Utah Jazz rotation, is planing in on 19 August while Sotto, the 7-3 National Basketball Association hopeful, is arriving a day earlier.
The two have been tapped by the SBP to lend a hand in the fourth window of the FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers later this month.
Gilas is set to begin its training camp on Monday with mainstays Dwight Ramos, Ray Parks, Kiefer and Thirdy Ravena, Carl Tamayo and Kevin Quiambao.
Although the two players will enter the camp late, the federation knows both can quickly adapt with the team’s gameplan against Lebanon on the 25th and Saudi Arabia on the 29th.
Aside from that, Barrios also said they are yet to tackle who will be the head coach for the upcoming window.
Gilas tactician Chot Reyes might face a conflict of schedule should TNT Tropang Giga reach the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup finals around the same time of the qualifiers.
“We will have to tackle the Lebanon and Saudi games because we really need to win and we want to win there,” Barrios said.