Chot sticks with 15-man pool as Slaughter, Lassiter withdraw

MANILA, Philippines -- Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes has accepted the decision of this year's top overall pick Greg Slaughter and Marcio Lassiter to decline the invitation to join the national pool.

Slaughter, who was part of the pool for the FIBA Asia, announced his decision on Friday with Lassiter expected to do the same right after the San Miguel Beermen-Meralco Bolts game as of this posting.

"Originally, I thought these 12 [the FIBA Asia Championship team] would be going to Spain," Slaughter told stunned press reporters.

"It's a once in a lifetime opportunity, but hopefully in the future I can be part of it," Slaughter added.

A mainstay of the original Gilas Pilipinas under coach Rajko Toroman, the seven-foot Fil-Am behemoth said he knows so well the feeling of being in a pool of hopefuls for the national team.

“I had four years of experience there. I know the feeling when new people come in,” said Slaughter, the original backup to naturalized player Marcus Douthit.

The former University of Visayas and Ateneo standout stressed, though, that he would be more than willing to play for the future national squads – not the one playing in Spain and in the succeeding Asian Games in Incheon, Korea.

He said he showed up in the first Gilas practice session Monday just to inform coach Chot Reyes of his decision.

“Coach Chot is a very understanding person. He respected my decision,” said Slaughter.

Reyes, meanwhile, addressed the situation on his Twitter account, saying he "respects their decisions."

We're 15-strong. We've always faced adversity. We've always found a way, or we will die trying #LabanPilipinasPuso

— Chot Reyes (@coachot) March 7, 2014

Reyes named three other players -- Marcio Lassiter, Paul Lee and Jared Dillinger – as addition to the Gilas pool, joining Douthit, Junmar Fajardo, Japeth Aguilar, Ranidel de Ocampo, Marc Pingris, Gabe Norwood, Jeff Chan, Gary David, Larry Fonacier, LA Tenorio, Jimmy Alapag, Jayson Castro and Beau Belga.

Slaughter and Belga were the last cuts in the Gilas team that placed second to Iran in the last FIBA Asia Championship that served as the regional qualifier for the worlds.

The Brooklyn Nets’ Andray Blatche is also being considered as a potential naturalized player.