RoS commits all E-Painters to Gilas 5

MANILA, Philippines - Rain or Shine remains firm on its commitment making each member of its team available for Gilas Pilipinas despite the PBA board decision Thursday allowing member ball clubs to lend just one player each to the national team.

“We’re fully supportive since it’s for the country. If coach Chot Reyes feels not just one player from us can help our national team, so be it. They won’t have a problem with us,” said Rain or Shine co-team owner Terry Que.

“They would also have no problem with us on whatever they decide on the practice sessions of the team. I’m sure coach Yeng (Guiao) is also supportive since it’s the national team,” Que added.

Talk n Text and Rain or Shine are the PBA ball clubs likely to loan more than one player each to the Phl team that will pursue a ticket to the world championship in the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship the country is hosting Aug. 1-11 at the MOA Arena in Pasay.

Rain or Shine stalwarts Jeff Chan and Gabe Norwood were part of the original pool that had a triumphant run in the William Jones Cup basketball championship in Taipei last year.

Talk n Text players Ranidel de Ocampo and Larry Fonacier were also in the team. Another Texter Jared Dillinger came on board as Gilas Pilipinas later competed in the FIBA Asia Cup in Tokyo, Japan.

Talk n Text and Meralco will always be there for Smart Gilas since all three teams are run by the MVP (Manny V. Pangilinan) Group.

“So be it if we don’t win the next two conferences (in the PBA) as long as we can form a competitive team for FIBA Asia,” MVP Group top executive Ricky Vargas has said, stressing readiness to release most of the TnT stars to Gilas Pilipinas.

But in an effort to give the national coach latitude in forming the best team possible, the PBA board mandated all ball clubs to commit one player each for a possible tour of duty with the national team.

“One player per team in the spirit of broad and equitable representation. An addendum is if a team is willing to lend one or more players, go ahead. And if in the judgment of the coach he doesn’t need player from any team, so be it,” said PBA commissioner Chito Salud.

Rain or Shine committed availability of each member of its ball club for the national team as early as the announcement of the transfer of the hosting rights of the 2013 Asian meet from Beirut, Lebanon to Manila, Philippines.

Que and Raymund Yu were with SBP president Manny V. Pangilinan and other SBP top brass during the announcement at the MOA Arena. It was halftime of Game Three of the recent PBA Philippine Cup finals.

“Just tell us who are our players who do you think can help the team,” said Yu then.

Meanwhile, defending champion San Mig Coffee takes on Barako Bull while Petron Blaze plays Globalport in the opener of the mid-season Commissioners Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Feb. 8.

Talk n Text and Rain or Shine, the title protagonists in the recent Philippine Cup, return into action in the second conference, tackling Meralco and Alaska Milk, respectively, on Feb. 9.

Barangay Ginebra and Air21 will be up against each other in their Commissioners Cup debuts on Feb. 10.

Tournament format is a shortened Philippine Cup where the 10 teams figure in one-round-robin preliminaries with the best eight advancing to the quarterfinals.

The top two teams enjoy a twice-to-beat edge over the eighth and seventh seeds in the quarters, and it’s No. 3 versus No. 6 and No. 4 against No. 5 in a pair of best-of-three duels. The four survivors slug it out in best-of-seven showdowns with the finale also a race-to-four-games affair.