Gilas bubble training in high gear

MANILA, Philippines — Athletic forward Jamie Malonzo rejoined Gilas Pilipinas as the Nationals upshift their FIBA World Cup buildup with a “bubble training” at the Inspire Sports Academy in Laguna.

Malonzo checked in with the first batch of the entrants at the Calamba facility yesterday for the first of the pool’s workouts and team building sessions scheduled to run up to Tuesday.

The Fil-Am high-flier’s return should provide a boost to the pool that’s been hit by injuries and player unavailability in its first week of practices at the Meralco Gym.

Malonzo joined June Mar Fajardo, Japeth Aguilar, Kiefer and Thirdy Ravena, CJ Perez, Scottie Thompson, AJ Edu, Angelo Kouame, Chris Newsome, JP Erram, and Rhenz Abando among the early birds at Inspire.

RR Pogoy, Ray Parks Jr., Calvin Oftana, and Dwight Ramos are expected to enter the bubble today. Naturalized player Justin Brownlee is tipped to get on board soon.

Gilas coach Chot Reyes said the Calamba camp is designed to prepare the group for its pre-WC European trip beginning July 22.

The Nationals are up for pocket tournaments and tuneup matches against the Estonian national team, Finland, Lithuania and Latvia in this important phase of the preparations.

“We have a training camp at Inspire and I think we’re going to be all systems go whenever it comes to that,” Newsome said on The Game in One Sports.

“We hope to develop chemistry together (in the Inspire camp), have our legs under us in time for us to head for Estonia,” he added.

Fil-Am NBA star Jordan Clarkson and 7-foot-3 Kai Sotto, who is eyeing a stint in the NBA Summer League, are likely to be on hand after the sorties in Europe.

Another mini-tourney in China is also being arranged for Gilas in early August ahead of its WC opening game against the Dominican Republic on Aug. 25.