Andray Blatche here to rejoin Gilas after China stint

MANILA, Philippines — NBA veteran Andray Blatche is set to fly in from China tomorrow to rejoin Gilas and start practicing with the Philippine national basketball team at the Meralco Gym on Monday. It will be a homecoming for Blatche and his first experience to play under coach Yeng Guiao after serving a three-game FIBA suspension stemming from the brawl that marred the Philippines’ World Cup qualifying game against Australia last July.

Blatche, 32, is fresh from playing for the Tianjin Gold Lions in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) where he’s averaging 18.7 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.6 steals, 1.5 blocked shots and 3.3 turnovers in 11 games since signing up with the club last month. In his last five outings, Blatche has averaged at least 20 points and 10 rebounds. Tianjin’s record is 9-27, 4-7 with Blatche in harness. The Gold Lions are No. 17 in the 20-team CBA ladder.

Guiao confirmed that while Blatche is arriving tomorrow, he will return to China to fulfill a previous commitment on Feb. 11 but will hook up with Gilas in Doha on Feb. 16. Blatche will suit up for Tianjin against Fujian on Feb. 13 and against Shandong on Feb. 15. The Philippines plays Qatar on Feb. 21 in the first of two games in the sixth and last window of the FIBA Asia/Pacific World Cup Qualifiers. Then, Gilas takes on Kazakhstan in Astana on Feb. 24. Blatche will be back in a Tianjin uniform against Beijing on Feb. 28. He will not miss any games in the CBA during the sixth window.

Guiao has so far called three practices for Gilas with the fourth scheduled at the Meralco Gym tonight. It’s been a Monday and Thursday evening routine. Guiao may start twice-a-day practices when the PBA takes a break beginning Feb. 14. The last PBA schedule involving Gilas players before the break is on Feb. 10 when Rain Or Shine faces Phoenix and Magnolia meets San Miguel Beer. The PBA will resume its games on Feb. 27. The hitch is Blatche won’t be in town to practice when the PBA takes its break.

But the good news is Blatche appears to be in game shape, judging from his numbers in the CBA. “We’re focused on Dray,” said Gilas chief scout and assistant coach Ryan Gregorio. “We want to keep him active and in playing shape for the Qualifiers.” With Blatche back in the Gilas roster, Christian Standhardinger will take a substitute’s role. Under FIBA rules, a national team may enlist only one naturalized player and at the moment, Standhardinger is still recognized as a “foreign import” like Blatche. While Standhardinger is half-Filipino, he received his Philippine passport after turning 16. FIBA requires multiple passport holders to have been issued the passport of the country he or she wants to play for before turning 16 to become eligible as a “local.”

Standhardinger is in the Gilas pool of 14 with Blatche, Jayson Castro, Mark Barroca, Paul Lee, Scottie Thompson, Marcio Lassiter, Gabe Norwood, Troy Rosario, Japeth Aguilar, Poy Erram, JuneMar Fajardo, Raymond Almazan and R. R. Pogoy. Standhardinger will play if Blatche doesn’t. Pogoy is eligible to play only against Kazakhstan as he will by then have served his five-game FIBA suspension. Missing from the pool is Matthew Wright who has played in nine of 10 qualifying games. Another missing player is Stanley Pringle who’s classified as a naturalized player.

Guiao will choose his final 12 players for the Qatar and Kazakhstan games from the pool of 14. The lineups may be different for both teams but the players may only come from the 14-man pool.  Barroca is the only player in the pool making his Qualifiers debut in the sixth window. Gregorio said he’s been impressive in practice. “What you like about Mark is his aggressiveness on defense,” Gregorio said. “He’s a smart guy and he knows how to go around ballscreens.”

The Philippines beat Qatar, 92-81, at home in the fourth window and lost to Kazakhstan, 92-88, also at home, in the fifth window. The results of the rematches in the sixth window will determine if the Philippines advances to the World Cup or not.