Gilas Pilipinas head coach Chot Reyes heaves a big sigh of relief following the arrival of National Basketball Association stalwart Jordan Clarkson.
Reyes was nothing but pleased as the Utah Jazz guard finally arrived in the country Friday night to reinforce Gilas for the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers on 25 and 29 August.
The embattled tactician said Clarkson and Kai Sotto’s presence will be a big boost as they have yet to complete their attendance in training.
Reyes said they are still missing some guys from the 24-man pool, particularly big men Carl Tamayo and Kevin Quiambao.
“Yes, finally. Well, there’s a feeling of relief, more than anything,” Reyes told Daily Tribune.
“At least you guys should know that we still can’t form a full (roster). We haven’t had a full practice yet.”
“We’ve also been missing Carl Tamayo because of the University of the Philippines, while Quiambao has a game with La Salle.”
Another pool member in Allein Maliksi expressed his excitement on sharing the court with Clarkson.
Maliksi admitted that it is a big boost to have a prolific gunner in Clarkson, especially knowing that he will be useful especially against a strong team like Lebanon.
“It’s a good thing that we have Jordan Clarkson. We know his caliber, it’s like he’s going to be our import out there,” Maliksi said.
“We all know that we’re up against strong teams, so it’s a normal thing to have him.”