THOUGHTS | BOOING CHOT REYES

Dwight Ramos was at the forefront when he said that he didn't like the crowd booing Chot Reyes.

Here's the thing - who in the right mind would want to coach Gilas Pilipinas with this kind of mindset and environment?

https://twitter.com/ChrisDTan/status/1564245215036461057?s=20&t=7vsiSEY4kHpvudhx__nApQ

If we're not going to cheer Chot Reyes - regardless of the outcome - the next coach for me would be Leo Austria. He's another coach that just can't catch a break from the critics. But again, Austria is a multi-titled coach that can massage the egos of stars.

The opportune word here is MASSAGE.

In hindsight, who in the right mind can have the likes of June Mar Fajardo, Arwind Santos, Alex Cabagnot, Chris Ross, and Marcio Lassiter playing beautiful music with former starters and breakout stars? SMB's Death Five paved the way for its current version. I mean, if the Death Five didn't work, then the Beermen would still be in their dark, Petronovela days wherein the team is good on paper and nothing else.

There was a point in time when combining Terrence Romeo with CJ Perez and Vic Manuel is just ridiculous.

Again, Tab Baldwin created a new Gilas Pilipinas dynamic but he didn't see it through. As mentioned in a previous blog, we need players that can intimidate the other teams. Andray Blatche's name value trumps Ange Kouame. Maybe as the years wear on, the current Ateneo standout would ellipse the former NBA vet but as it stands, Blatche struck fear in a lot of teams during the 2014 FIBA World Cup. The same can be said with Allan Caidic, Jimmy Alapag, Asi Taulava, Gabe Norwood, and Jayson Castro. Yao Ming still remembers Asi to this day - and it's a testament to how big was Asi's international gameplay back then. Right now, we have Jordan Clarkson and Kai Sotto as our one-two punch but instead of having the college kids, we now have the other PBA stars teaming up with them.

Again, this is how you develop a national team.

Chot Reyes could have said no but he didn't. This means either there are no takers or they have their confidence. Personally, I am a Chot Reyes fan but sooner or later when the losses continue to pile up, he needs to give his post to another coach.

But this coach has to get his personnel from what SBP is going to offer.

Again, this is why Chot Reyes is still there. Reyes hasn't been the same since the Gilas versus Australia brawl and Yeng Guiao went from sought-after to untouchable after his Gilas coaching stint. Baldwin has been seen positively but for some reason, he wants none of it. This is why it kind of baffles me why he would still hold the Ateneo post. Surely, if there are better opportunities abroad, then he's going to get it, right?

It must suck for the players who trusted Chot Reyes to have his countryman celebrate his presence with jeers. With that said, this should prompt Reyes to make winning an every-game thing. He has a surplus of players now and 2023 is just around the corner. I believe he'll have the chance to down his critics and would make the right decision regardless of the outcome.