Greg Slaughter excited to be in Gilas pool

MANILA, Philippines — Barangay Ginebra’s Greg Slaughter said yesterday he’s excited to be in the 15-man Gilas pool for the coming Southeast Asian (SEA) Games where the 7-foot center won a gold medal in Jakarta in 2011 and can’t wait to start practice with coach Tim Cone.

“There won’t be much preparation time but for sure, everyone in the pool is excited to give it his all,” he said. “There are six guys from Ginebra, four from San Miguel Beer, three from TNT and one each from Alaska and Phoenix in the pool. We don’t know who’ll make the final 12 but we’re all committed to do our best. It’s an honor to play for our country, particularly in the coming SEA Games because we’re hosting.”

Slaughter, 31, said before the start of the ongoing PBA Governors Cup, he had three weeks of intensive training under skills coach Kirk Collier. “We did workouts at least two hours a day, three days a week,” he said. “I’ve worked with coach Kirk one-on-one before and it’s always been a positive thing. He’s also one of coach Tim’s assistants on our team. Now that I’m injury-free, I feel I’m ready to compete.”

Since the end of the Philippine Cup, Slaughter said he focused on losing weight to improve his mobility. “Over two months, I lost about 35 pounds,” said Slaughter, the Best Player awardee in the 2017 Governors Cup. “It wasn’t a special diet. I just controlled portions. I ate simple food. I also ate healthier. I ate more at home than outside. Now, I’m down to 250.”

In Ginebra’s first game in the Governors Cup last Sunday, Cone noticed Slaughter was quicker and more assertive. Slaughter finished with 16 points and eight rebounds as Ginebra beat Alaska, 102-83. Ginebra plays its second contest against Phoenix at the Smart Araneta Coliseum tonight.

Last season, Slaughter averaged 13.4 points, 8 rebounds and 27.8 minutes in 38 games, including 25 starts. He shot 48.6 percent from the floor and 69.1 percent from the line. In the recently-ended Commissioner’s Cup, he averaged 8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 20.8 minutes in 17 games, including four starts. He hit 47 percent from the field and 73.7 percent from the stripe.

“At least, we went to the semis last conference,” he said. “I was a little frustrated as I didn’t earn my minutes. It wasn’t because we played bigger imports. In the previous Commissioner’s Cup, I played one of my best conferences and we won the championship. But that’s in the past. We’re looking forward and we’re hungry to win again. I’m optimistic of our chances in this Governors Cup. Justin (Brownlee) continues to get better every conference. J. D. (Jared Dillinger) is a big piece for us. Jeff (Chan) is back and it’s a dream come true playing with a great outside shooter. Art (De la Cruz) is also back. We were together at Ateneo in 2010 so we know each other from way back.”

Slaughter said with Cone at the helm, Ginebra’s on the right track. “Coach Tim’s a confidence booster,” he said. “He shows us the way to win.” Another factor is Slaughter playing alongside Japeth Aguilar to form a towering combination. “Japeth and I have a good relationship on and off the court,” he continued. “We’ve played together with Gilas. I love playing with Japeth because we complement each other.”

Slaughter played only once during the FIBA Asia/Oceania World Cup Qualifiers so if he makes it to the SEA Games lineup, it’ll be another highlight in his career. Slaughter and Ginebra teammates Aguilar, L. A. Tenorio, Stanley Pringle and Scottie Thompson were in the Gilas cast for the Kazakhstan game in the fifth window last November. The Philippines, however, lost to Kazakhstan, 92-88. Winning the gold medal in the SEA Games will be a fitting redemption.