Paul Lee on Tuesday begged off from joining the Gilas Pilipinas pool this year, leaving the National squad without possibly the finest shooting guard this country has.
Lee’s withdrawal made him the third blue-chip player to beg off following the 7-foot Greg Slaughter and defense specialist Matt Ganuelas-Rosser, who have ankle injuries that need to be corrected by surgeries.
Lee came to Gilas practice on Tuesday and talked with a bleeding heart, missing the chance to represent the country in what could be the biggest games of the decade as the Philippines shoots for Olympic inclusion for the first time in more than 40 years.
“At least, lumuwag na pakiramdam ko matapos ko makausap si coach (Tab Baldwin),” Lee told reporters, who huddled around him and made his withdrawal the story of the day.
The development is also a letdown for a country that would want to see how the 6-foot point guard out of University of the East would fare against some of the best players in the world, if Lee could also do what he did in the Finals of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup against Alaska.
Lee was the hero in three of the four Rain or Shine victories in the title series against the Aces.
His effort in Game 6, the series-clinching game, was most memorable. Lee rattled off 17 straight points, 12 of them off three-pointers with 2:10 left in the first period and in Rain or Shine’s first possession in the second quarter that broke the game open.
“It’s a misfortune for Gilas,” Baldwin said after practice.
“It’s reality. These things happen every single year,” Baldwin continued. “Hardly ever in my career that have I gone into any season or campaign with a fully healthy team. It’s part and parcel of being in sports, in professional sports.”
“We all saw what he is capable of doing in the Finals,” Baldwin said of Lee. “He’s had problems with his knees, he’s had problems with his body.”
“We (Gilas team) said a special prayer for him so that he could get those things right,” said Baldwin. “We wish him the best. He’s a fallen brother and we hope that he gets back on his feet as soon as possible.”
*****
The withdrawal of Slaughter, Ganuelas-Rosser and Lee and with Jeff Chan also nursing a groin injury and is still unable to join the team in practice, leaves a very important question that needs to be addressed by the PBA and the basketball-powers-that-be:
“Is the PBA schedule too hectic that it is on the verge of crippling the stars that could represent the Philippines internationally?”
With so many prestigious international tournaments scheduled every year, Gilas Pilipinas is doing this basketball-crazy nation a great favor by making the Philippines — represented by PBA stars — play.
Nothing beats watching your country play internationally, whatever sport that may be.
And with that commitment comes a great sacrifice for these players to play, don the national tri-colors and prepare as hard as they have ever done compared to local PBA games.
I ask the question because it seems quite unusual for players to being forced to beg off from national duty because they are hobbled by injuries. If you ask these players, there is no greater pride than playing for flag and country.
But when their careers are put on the line because of injuries like what Lee has, playing for the country suddenly becomes a different thing.
The PBA plays three conferences a year, with each team to play at least a total of 44 elimination round games, and a lot more if they make the playoffs of all three conferences where that number could extend to as many as at least another 21 games.
And with most of those in the Gilas pool belonging to PBA contender teams, they are the ones likely to see action in all of those games, and it has undoubtedly taken its toll on their bodies.
*****
Take as an example the last conference won by Rain or Shine, which played a total of 11 elimination round games plus 12 playoff games counting a 2-0 sweep of Barangay Ginebra in the quarterfinals and a 3-1 win over San Miguel Beer in the Final Four.
What’s strange about that conference, and all the other conferences before that, was that if you go on to make the Finals, you will have played all of those 12 playoff games every other day, with only the title series going back to the old schedule of Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
It just seems a blur to most of the fans, reporters included, as they get a dose of basketball every single day of the week.
The venues usually play to half-empty crowds earlier in the playoffs, simply because the fans cannot afford to go to the game everyday and pay hard-earned money.
The PBA should take a deep look on this aspect and save the players for the national team and, ultimately, save the players for their mother teams because they can come back from national duty revitalized and raring to go again. The Olympic Qualifying Tournament that Gilas Pilipinas will take part in is scheduled July 5-11 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
And before that, the Nationals will go on a back-breaking grind in Europe from June 11 as they fly to Greece for a grueling nine-day camp, go to Turkey afterwards to play the Turkish National team twice before flying to Italy to participate in a pocket tournament in Bologna against Canada, China and the Italians.
That’s no joke and we hope that Baldwin doesn’t suffer any more casualties.
The team is expected back in the country just before July 1 before a pocket tournament is arranged just in time for the opening of the Qualifying tournament.
And you know what, if the Philippines falls short in its goal of winning the tournament where France, New Zealand, Canada and Senegal are also taking part in, the season-ending Governors’ Cup of the PBA is scheduled to open on July 17 at the latest.
Now, tell me, aren’t we overextending the physical capabilities of our players in doing that?
Lee’s withdrawal made him the third blue-chip player to beg off following the 7-foot Greg Slaughter and defense specialist Matt Ganuelas-Rosser, who have ankle injuries that need to be corrected by surgeries.
Lee came to Gilas practice on Tuesday and talked with a bleeding heart, missing the chance to represent the country in what could be the biggest games of the decade as the Philippines shoots for Olympic inclusion for the first time in more than 40 years.
“At least, lumuwag na pakiramdam ko matapos ko makausap si coach (Tab Baldwin),” Lee told reporters, who huddled around him and made his withdrawal the story of the day.
The development is also a letdown for a country that would want to see how the 6-foot point guard out of University of the East would fare against some of the best players in the world, if Lee could also do what he did in the Finals of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup against Alaska.
Lee was the hero in three of the four Rain or Shine victories in the title series against the Aces.
His effort in Game 6, the series-clinching game, was most memorable. Lee rattled off 17 straight points, 12 of them off three-pointers with 2:10 left in the first period and in Rain or Shine’s first possession in the second quarter that broke the game open.
“It’s a misfortune for Gilas,” Baldwin said after practice.
“It’s reality. These things happen every single year,” Baldwin continued. “Hardly ever in my career that have I gone into any season or campaign with a fully healthy team. It’s part and parcel of being in sports, in professional sports.”
“We all saw what he is capable of doing in the Finals,” Baldwin said of Lee. “He’s had problems with his knees, he’s had problems with his body.”
“We (Gilas team) said a special prayer for him so that he could get those things right,” said Baldwin. “We wish him the best. He’s a fallen brother and we hope that he gets back on his feet as soon as possible.”
*****
The withdrawal of Slaughter, Ganuelas-Rosser and Lee and with Jeff Chan also nursing a groin injury and is still unable to join the team in practice, leaves a very important question that needs to be addressed by the PBA and the basketball-powers-that-be:
“Is the PBA schedule too hectic that it is on the verge of crippling the stars that could represent the Philippines internationally?”
With so many prestigious international tournaments scheduled every year, Gilas Pilipinas is doing this basketball-crazy nation a great favor by making the Philippines — represented by PBA stars — play.
Nothing beats watching your country play internationally, whatever sport that may be.
And with that commitment comes a great sacrifice for these players to play, don the national tri-colors and prepare as hard as they have ever done compared to local PBA games.
I ask the question because it seems quite unusual for players to being forced to beg off from national duty because they are hobbled by injuries. If you ask these players, there is no greater pride than playing for flag and country.
But when their careers are put on the line because of injuries like what Lee has, playing for the country suddenly becomes a different thing.
The PBA plays three conferences a year, with each team to play at least a total of 44 elimination round games, and a lot more if they make the playoffs of all three conferences where that number could extend to as many as at least another 21 games.
And with most of those in the Gilas pool belonging to PBA contender teams, they are the ones likely to see action in all of those games, and it has undoubtedly taken its toll on their bodies.
*****
Take as an example the last conference won by Rain or Shine, which played a total of 11 elimination round games plus 12 playoff games counting a 2-0 sweep of Barangay Ginebra in the quarterfinals and a 3-1 win over San Miguel Beer in the Final Four.
What’s strange about that conference, and all the other conferences before that, was that if you go on to make the Finals, you will have played all of those 12 playoff games every other day, with only the title series going back to the old schedule of Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
It just seems a blur to most of the fans, reporters included, as they get a dose of basketball every single day of the week.
The venues usually play to half-empty crowds earlier in the playoffs, simply because the fans cannot afford to go to the game everyday and pay hard-earned money.
The PBA should take a deep look on this aspect and save the players for the national team and, ultimately, save the players for their mother teams because they can come back from national duty revitalized and raring to go again. The Olympic Qualifying Tournament that Gilas Pilipinas will take part in is scheduled July 5-11 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
And before that, the Nationals will go on a back-breaking grind in Europe from June 11 as they fly to Greece for a grueling nine-day camp, go to Turkey afterwards to play the Turkish National team twice before flying to Italy to participate in a pocket tournament in Bologna against Canada, China and the Italians.
That’s no joke and we hope that Baldwin doesn’t suffer any more casualties.
The team is expected back in the country just before July 1 before a pocket tournament is arranged just in time for the opening of the Qualifying tournament.
And you know what, if the Philippines falls short in its goal of winning the tournament where France, New Zealand, Canada and Senegal are also taking part in, the season-ending Governors’ Cup of the PBA is scheduled to open on July 17 at the latest.
Now, tell me, aren’t we overextending the physical capabilities of our players in doing that?
