MANILA: Tab Baldwin named his Fighting 12 for the Fiba Asia Championship, an intrepid crew that will try and make the Philippines’ red-white-and-blue fly high in China on the way to the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics in Brazil.

Not part of that group is Jimmy Alapag and Gary David, veterans who were part of the Gilas 2.0 team that placed second to Iran at the Fiba Asia in Manila in 2013 which eventually played in the World Cup in Spain and won one game last year.

Also out of the lineup is amateur Troy Rosario and Aldrech Ramos, who were also in the team that played in Estonia and placed second — also to Iran — in the recent Jones Cup in Chinese Taipei less than a week ago.

Moala Tautuaa will now go to Talk 'N Text with Andray Blatche available. Tautuaa would have only been eligible to play in a Fiba-sanctioned event as a naturalized player, though he is truly half-Filipino.

He is on call as a replacement for Blatche should something untoward happen to the country’s talented 6-foot-11 naturalized player.

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas sounded off pleas last week in order to have June Mar Fajardo and Paul Lee join the team. Obviously, nothing happened because the duo was not named to the team.

Even NBA MVP Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors was in town for a day last week and told everyone that players should relish playing for their national team because it is “an amazing opportunity.”

After hearing that, I was left wishing that Curry had somehow been Filipino.

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The team that Baldwin assembled — also because of the holdout of Fajardo and Lee — is certainly a small one, but definitely not lacking in heart with all of the players to fight till the very end in China.

The fact that they made themselves available right from the start is commendable enough, unlike the others who gave up even before this whole thing started, not even willing to try and get a feel of everything before begging off.

Would it have hurt someone to practice with the team first before telling coaching staff later on that, “sorry, coach, I really am not 100%. I cannot join the team.”

Baldwin — and this country — I’m sure would understand. At least you made an effort to come to practice, to try and play through the pain — if there ever is any – before begging off for the betterment of the team.

That’s an entirey different case than begging off right away and citing an injury that is not at all career-threatening.

Asi Taulava and Sonny Thoss are the only legitimate centers in the roster, with Blatche being a natural forward who can play facing the basket better than posting up.

Taulava, all 42 years young, and Thoss, who is just 6-foot-7 and way short of international standards for a center, will have their hands full in the Fiba Asia.

The two will be boosted by prayers of this basketball-crazy nation and whatever happens, will be endeared most when they come home — whatever the result.

At least, Taulava and Thoss will be there fighting for us.

And for some, this corner included, that’s the most important thing.

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The second place finish in the Jones Cup is quite impressive considering that Blatche wasn’t there.

The former Brooklyn Net in the NBA would have come in handy in the Filipinos’ effort to stop Hamed Haddadi, who got away with 22 points and 15 rebounds in another Iranian victory.

Blatche and Haddadi have never faced each other in an international game. They might have crossed paths in the NBA, but never in a Fiba tournament with the Philippines belonging to a different group in the World Cup.

When the Filipinos lost to Iran in 2013 in Manila, Marcus Douthit was still the naturalized player, and he didn’t play the last 36 minutes after twisting his leg early on in the gold medal game.

That could work for the Philippines in China, as the Filipinos have not gotten so familiar playing against Haddadi while Iran has not yet seen Gilas being backstopped by Blatche.

That could be the element of surprise that the Filipinos could use against the Iranians whatever round they clash in China.

And I am keeping my fingers crossed.

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Dondon Hontiveros and JC Intal also made the team, a couple of longshot bets considering that Hontiveros is 38 years old and Intal is not a real superstar in the PBA.

After seeing them play in the Jones Cup, it seems that their jobs would be to constantly hit the outside shot to free up some space inside for Taulava and Blatche to operate.

Against New Zealand in the Jones Cup, Hontiveros hit three straight triples to open up overtime and scored 11 total points in the extension to lead the Philippines to a 92-88 victory.

If Hontiveros could come up with that kind of a sizzling performance against the heavyweight teams in China, then the Philippines indeed has a great chance of tabbing that one continental spot in the Olympics.

“I really wanted to make the team, not only to help Gilas win but to also leave a legacy when my (playing) career ends,” Hontiveros said in one interview during the Jones Cup.

He is another man with a lot to prove, if only because of his age.

But being as motivated as he is, and being the hard worker that he is, there can only be success waiting for him at the end of the road.

And we just hope that he is able to take Gilas along for the ride.