Reyes wary of Indonesia

MANILA, Philippines — Former PBA import and Indonesia’s naturalized player Lester Prosper is tempering expectations on the team’s chances to retain the men’s basketball gold medal in the coming SEA Games with key pieces from the 2021 edition absent but Gilas coach Chot Reyes isn’t about to bring down his guard.

Indonesia recently went on a 20-day training tour in Australia, winning four of eight games. Coach Milos Pejic’s squad beat Southwest Metro, 84-74, Red City Education, 69-62, Southern District Spartans, 113-98, and Illawara Hawks, 89-81, while losing to Logan Thunder, 104-90, Waverley Falcons, 92-88, Ballarat Miners, 77-71, and Sutherland Sharks, 93-89.

Three players who were instrumental in Indonesia’s victory in Hanoi won’t be available for Cambodia. Derrick Xzavierro, a 6-10 center, went down with a collapsed lung last December and underwent two surgeries in a seven-week hospital confinement during his redshirt season at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix. He lost 40 pounds and has regained 18 but will only resume playing this summer. Xzavierro had 14 points and seven rebounds when Indonesia beat the Philippines, 85-81, for the 2021 SEA Games gold. The two other missing Indonesians are 6-10 naturalized player Marques Bolden, recovering from a shoulder injury and Abraham Grahita who’s seeing action for Veltex Shizuoka in the Japanese B-League D2. Bolden scored 18 points and Grahita 17 in the win over Gilas.

SEABA Basketball secretary-general Agus Mauro, who was in town for the FIBA World Cup draw last weekend, said Indonesia will be led by Prosper, Anthony Beane and Dame Diagne in Cambodia. There is no limit to enlist naturalized players for as long as they produce passports so Indonesia’s lineup includes Prosper, Beane and Diagne.