Team Pilipinas Basketball

[Guest megalodon]

huh?!?

with an intimidating threat in the center and above-average rebounder to boot, I think Smart-Gilas can go all the way

Just being conservative.

[Agent_mulder]

According sa nabasa ko sa newspaper this morning, Toroman wants to get 3 more players: A player to be naturalized (to replaced Sampson), a player with Filipino root and Kelly Williams.

[Guest megalodon]

According sa nabasa ko sa newspaper this morning, Toroman wants to get 3 more players: A player to be naturalized (to replaced Sampson), a player with Filipino root and Kelly Williams.

K-Wil would be a great addition to Smart-Gilas since he's a tenacious rebounder. He'll probably start at PF if Smart-Gilas so decides to get him. However, Smart-Gilas may not play with him year round due to his commitment with Sta. Lucia.

[Agent_mulder]

K-Wil would be a great addition to Smart-Gilas since he's a tenacious rebounder. He'll probably start at PF if Smart-Gilas so decides to get him. However, Smart-Gilas may not play with him year round due to his commitment with Sta. Lucia.

 

Apparently, Toroman is impressed with the toughness and rebounding prowess of Williams. SG would be a much competitive team once na payagan ng PBA at ng realtors si Kelly na makalaro sa kanila at makakuha pa sila ng replacement for Sampson and another player with Filipino roots, I really thought that Giles seems to be perfect for them, noon ko pa sinasabi na former Ginebra import Chris Alexander would be a good replacement..

[Guest megalodon]

Apparently, Toroman is impressed with the toughness and rebounding prowess of Williams. SG would be a much competitive team once na payagan ng PBA at ng realtors si Kelly na makalaro sa kanila at makakuha pa sila ng replacement for Sampson and another player with Filipino roots, I really thought that Giles seems to be perfect for them, noon ko pa sinasabi na former Ginebra import Chris Alexander would be a good replacement..

Chris Alexander will be a good replacement for Sampson. He led Ginebra to a championship so this guy is a winner. A frontline of Alexander, Williams and Husseini would be imposing. With Alexander, I think SG could win the Asiad. Alexander has the height and heft to match-up with Haddadi of Iran.

[Agent_mulder]

Chris Alexander will be a good replacement for Sampson. He led Ginebra to a championship so this guy is a winner. A frontline of Alexander, Williams and Husseini would be imposing. With Alexander, I think SG could win the Asiad. Alexander has the height and heft to match-up with Haddadi of Iran.

 

A legit 7 footer, a good rebounder at shot-blocker though medyo may edad na (born July 20, 1980), SBP and SG might be looking for someone who is as young as Giles (24-25 y.o.) for its long-term plan..

[Guest megalodon]

A legit 7 footer, a good rebounder at shot-blocker though medyo may edad na (born July 20, 1980), SBP and SG might be looking for someone who is as young as Giles (24-25 y.o.) for its long-term plan..

He'll only be 30 this year. Potentially, he still has a good 4-5 years left in him.

Edited February 1, 2010 by megalodon

[carlgta]

go SMART GILAS. :thumbsupsmiley:

[Agent_mulder]

Smart-Gilas' new prospect:

 

Darian Townes

Edited February 6, 2010 by Agent_mulder

[greenarrow]

why is it that smart gilas is having a hard time in getting naturalized xagers? first, it was cj giles, then jamaal sampson, then this third guy. am just wnodering why is this is so? in the ncc days, naturalized cagers are a plenty. it gives the impression of the kind of program smart gilas is. it seems it is poorly managed.

 

and now, this tnt/mvp walkout. is this the basketbal program that we have. is mvp. after this classless act, still deserves to be the sbp top honcho? should we now trust this kind of person to handle, managed our national basketball program?

 

mvp is no ecj!!!!

[silentwater]

why is it that smart gilas is having a hard time in getting naturalized xagers? first, it was cj giles, then jamaal sampson, then this third guy. am just wnodering why is this is so? in the ncc days, naturalized cagers are a plenty. it gives the impression of the kind of program smart gilas is. it seems it is poorly managed.

 

and now, this tnt/mvp walkout. is this the basketbal program that we have. is mvp. after this classless act, still deserves to be the sbp top honcho? should we now trust this kind of person to handle, managed our national basketball program?

 

mvp is no ecj!!!!

 

 

 

hahaha... real funny guy... if you know what i mean... :goatee:

[Agent_mulder]

why is it that smart gilas is having a hard time in getting naturalized xagers? first, it was cj giles, then jamaal sampson, then this third guy. am just wnodering why is this is so? in the ncc days, naturalized cagers are a plenty. it gives the impression of the kind of program smart gilas is. it seems it is poorly managed.

 

and now, this tnt/mvp walkout. is this the basketbal program that we have. is mvp. after this classless act, still deserves to be the sbp top honcho? should we now trust this kind of person to handle, managed our national basketball program?

 

mvp is no ecj!!!!

 

CJ Giles looks perfect for them kundi lang sa alleged "attitude problem" n'ya at madalas na pag-gimik (though I think that it is more of the latter) malamang nasa SG pa s'ya, kita n'yo naman he is voted as Best Center doon sa recent middle east tournament wherein sumali din ang SG. Walang kuwenta si Sampson ewan ko lang doon sa baong prospect nila..

[khilua23]

NEWS ABOUT SAMPSON...

 

He’s apparently back in the US but claims to still be under contract with Gilas. He also asserts that the Smart Communications backed organization still has financial obligations to fulfill.

 

Sampson wrote that “December’s payment that was owed to me was late. Under my contract, they owed me a payment by January 1st, no later, well before we left for Qatar and Dubai. If it wasn’t paid, my contract states that I didn’t have to play or practice. I wasn’t obligated to play in Qatar or Dubai”

 

“I tried to play through the injury because I like the guys on the team. They expected me to go out and risk my knee, while I haven’t even been paid from the first month.” He added that “the (Gilas) team didn’t meet numerous contractual things. I had a bigger deal in China, but the team wanted to keep me so they kept upping their offer to meet, that’s why the process of me signing took so long. Unfortunately, from the beginning all those things put in the contract to get me to stay weren’t met, late and missed payments, and other things promised in the contract couldn’t be delivered”.

 

Newly installed Smart Gilas team manager Frankie Lim came to the defense of the organization and said “we paid him” and that he thinks that this is all a “big lie. SBP’s Executive Director Noli Eala was supervising the squad prior to Lim and refuses to comment at this time. Sampson also made remarks on Eala’s motives on ostensibly starting the program “only to get back at the PBA for what they did to him”.

 

“The whole impression is he just didn’t want to play for some reason. He has a history for refusing to play. It was an important game and the team needed him. The fact is, he signed a contract and he should have played. He said he was hurting but everybody was sore. You got to play over that. It’s not like he had an ACL and he was being asked to play”. Lim also reasoned that Sampson has a reputation for being soft and for complaining a lot.

 

In the following round, Sampson criticized the team for being disorganized and having a lot of unqualified personnel. He had callous remarks towards the coaching staff particularly the assistant coaches whom he feels do not have the proper tools. “How is someone in their life under 5 feet who never played in the post in their life gonna be a big man coach and show me stuff? Someone under 5 feet can be a great coach, don’t get me wrong, but to be a big man coach and have never played in the post or even played high level ball? C’mon now.”

 

Frankie Lim simply said that “if you have respect, you don’t say that”, again putting Sampson’s character in question. “He should have showed respect for coaches who have been patient with him.” Well, for me, I don’t think Toroman played post in his life either but I’m sure he can show what a big man should do in the post within his system and gives strict instructions to his assistant coaches on how he’d like it done. He did lead the Iranian national team to victory in the 2007 Fiba-Asia championships and won a slot for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing by maximizing his 7’2” behemoth Hamed Haddadi who now is a mainstay for the Memphis Grizzlies. But if that was howSampson felt, then we can’t do anything about that.

 

Next round, Sampson went for the jugular and said that he slept on the floor for his first 5 days because his condo didn’t have a bed. Lim finds this accusation preposterous since they got a fully furnished condo for him. “Any import we have in Talk and Text (his former team) we put in a condo or hotel. We’re not that stupid. Look at the logic. Are you saying that Smart does not have money? I don’t think so.” Lim just countered every single punch coming from Sampson. He also tried to go for the knockout by saying “why will you believe something he says when he’s a head case and feels that everyone owes him something?”

 

But despite the bad light on Jamal, he says he loves the Philippines. “I signed for less money because I love the country, how nice and friendly the fans are, and the players on the team, who are a great group to be around. Also, the country probably has the most supportive fans I’ve seen anywhere, to be honest, and that I loved.” One has to wonder though if that love is reciprocated. Lim just finds all of it “funny and ridiculous”.

 

With all the tragic experience with CJ Giles and Jamal Sampson, recruiting becomes a harder task for Smart Gilas. Frankie Lim is hard at work presenting all the options to Coach Rajko Toroman who is set to leave for the US on February 15 to see potential candidates in action. One of the top aspirants Jameel Watkins who played for Shell and Magnolia in the PBA is in town to try out for 3 days.

 

by Patricia Hizon | patriciahizon.blogspot.com

[khilua23]

Filipino-American Chris Lutz, a six-foot-two shooting guard from Marshall University, will be added to the lineup of Smart Gilas when they play in a tournament in Australia. Any guys know anything about him? only knew is that he's avering almost 43% in 3 pt. range..

[Agent_mulder]

NEWS ABOUT SAMPSON...

 

He’s apparently back in the US but claims to still be under contract with Gilas. He also asserts that the Smart Communications backed organization still has financial obligations to fulfill.

 

Sampson wrote that “December’s payment that was owed to me was late. Under my contract, they owed me a payment by January 1st, no later, well before we left for Qatar and Dubai. If it wasn’t paid, my contract states that I didn’t have to play or practice. I wasn’t obligated to play in Qatar or Dubai”

 

“I tried to play through the injury because I like the guys on the team. They expected me to go out and risk my knee, while I haven’t even been paid from the first month.” He added that “the (Gilas) team didn’t meet numerous contractual things. I had a bigger deal in China, but the team wanted to keep me so they kept upping their offer to meet, that’s why the process of me signing took so long. Unfortunately, from the beginning all those things put in the contract to get me to stay weren’t met, late and missed payments, and other things promised in the contract couldn’t be delivered”.

 

Newly installed Smart Gilas team manager Frankie Lim came to the defense of the organization and said “we paid him” and that he thinks that this is all a “big lie. SBP’s Executive Director Noli Eala was supervising the squad prior to Lim and refuses to comment at this time. Sampson also made remarks on Eala’s motives on ostensibly starting the program “only to get back at the PBA for what they did to him”.

 

“The whole impression is he just didn’t want to play for some reason. He has a history for refusing to play. It was an important game and the team needed him. The fact is, he signed a contract and he should have played. He said he was hurting but everybody was sore. You got to play over that. It’s not like he had an ACL and he was being asked to play”. Lim also reasoned that Sampson has a reputation for being soft and for complaining a lot.

 

In the following round, Sampson criticized the team for being disorganized and having a lot of unqualified personnel. He had callous remarks towards the coaching staff particularly the assistant coaches whom he feels do not have the proper tools. “How is someone in their life under 5 feet who never played in the post in their life gonna be a big man coach and show me stuff? Someone under 5 feet can be a great coach, don’t get me wrong, but to be a big man coach and have never played in the post or even played high level ball? C’mon now.”

 

Frankie Lim simply said that “if you have respect, you don’t say that”, again putting Sampson’s character in question. “He should have showed respect for coaches who have been patient with him.” Well, for me, I don’t think Toroman played post in his life either but I’m sure he can show what a big man should do in the post within his system and gives strict instructions to his assistant coaches on how he’d like it done. He did lead the Iranian national team to victory in the 2007 Fiba-Asia championships and won a slot for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing by maximizing his 7’2” behemoth Hamed Haddadi who now is a mainstay for the Memphis Grizzlies. But if that was howSampson felt, then we can’t do anything about that.

 

Next round, Sampson went for the jugular and said that he slept on the floor for his first 5 days because his condo didn’t have a bed. Lim finds this accusation preposterous since they got a fully furnished condo for him. “Any import we have in Talk and Text (his former team) we put in a condo or hotel. We’re not that stupid. Look at the logic. Are you saying that Smart does not have money? I don’t think so.” Lim just countered every single punch coming from Sampson. He also tried to go for the knockout by saying “why will you believe something he says when he’s a head case and feels that everyone owes him something?”

 

But despite the bad light on Jamal, he says he loves the Philippines. “I signed for less money because I love the country, how nice and friendly the fans are, and the players on the team, who are a great group to be around. Also, the country probably has the most supportive fans I’ve seen anywhere, to be honest, and that I loved.” One has to wonder though if that love is reciprocated. Lim just finds all of it “funny and ridiculous”.

 

With all the tragic experience with CJ Giles and Jamal Sampson, recruiting becomes a harder task for Smart Gilas. Frankie Lim is hard at work presenting all the options to Coach Rajko Toroman who is set to leave for the US on February 15 to see potential candidates in action. One of the top aspirants Jameel Watkins who played for Shell and Magnolia in the PBA is in town to try out for 3 days.

 

by Patricia Hizon | patriciahizon.blogspot.com

 

Interesting. I don't know kung sino kina frankie lim at jamal sampson ang nagsasabi ng totoo pero 'yung sinabi ni sampson regarding kay eala trying to get back to the PBA for what the league had done to him caught my attention, I think that there is truth to that, noong kasing masama ang naging performance ng Powerade Team Pilipinas sa FIBA Asia matinding criticism ang inabot nila kay eala as if 'di s'ya nagsimula as an announcer sa PBA and as a Commissioner eventually, I remember eala coining "PBA Bayan ng Superstars" at the height of the PBA-MBA riff, tsk. tsk.

 

Filipino-American Chris Lutz, a six-foot-two shooting guard from Marshall University, will be added to the lineup of Smart Gilas when they play in a tournament in Australia. Any guys know anything about him? only knew is that he's avering almost 43% in 3 pt. range..

[dencio]

why is it that smart gilas is having a hard time in getting naturalized xagers? first, it was cj giles, then jamaal sampson, then this third guy. am just wnodering why is this is so? in the ncc days, naturalized cagers are a plenty. it gives the impression of the kind of program smart gilas is. it seems it is poorly managed.

 

and now, this tnt/mvp walkout. is this the basketbal program that we have. is mvp. after this classless act, still deserves to be the sbp top honcho? should we now trust this kind of person to handle, managed our national basketball program?

 

mvp is no ecj!!!!

 

You should try to convince Franz Pumaren to drop his QC counselorship bid and run for the SBP top post instead. Bayan muna bago barangay!

[greenarrow]

Jamal Sampson issue builds buzz; import answers Rajko Toroman

 

The ongoing Jamal Sampson saga has created some buzz even in the mainstream media: both the Manila Standard Today and GMANews.TV picked up the story last Thursday, while Patricia Hizon’s (always excellent) column for Standard Today last Friday carried the only reaction from an SBP official so far, from newly-minted Smart Gilas team manager Frankie Lim. Yesterday, Abante Tonite’s Zaldy Perez also mentioned the blog post in his column.

 

(It’s weird though, I always figured that if an Abante Tonite column was going to run my stuff, it would be for Dear Xerex. Especially on the eve of Valentine’s. But I digress.)

 

Also, this morning, Beth Celis’ whole column in the Inquirer was basically lifted from the blog (without giving any credit, unfortunately). Still, the issue made it to the Sunday edition of the country’s biggest broadsheet, so hopefully it would encourage the SBP leadership to issue a statement on the matter.

 

Of course, in light of Coach Rajko Toroman’s scathing email against him, it was only natural for Sampson to want to respond. I almost didn’t want to run this, because it detracts from the original issue at hand (the contract situation with the SBP), but in the interest of fairness, here’s the latest from Jamal Sampson:

 

I’m going to take a sec and respond to coach’s comments. One, let’s see, coach mentioned a tournament with Zain where I hurt my back, and could only play some minutes the rest of the tournament, and China, [where] I got hurt in my second season. Both are true. [With] Zain, I got hurt for a tournament, but continued to play, but limited some of my minutes. But I still played, and we won the championship with me playing 30 minutes in the championship hurt. In China, I played with a torn hamstring but tried to play through it, but [the injury] limited how effective I was, not being able to run and jump. But yet again, I played, just not as well as I could if healthy.

 

He named 2 injuries. Well, I’m 26 years old, and turned pro at 18. In college, I played and started all 34 games, I think, for my college career. I have been a pro for 8 years now, and he named 2 injuries prior to this team, both where I still attempted to play. In a sport where injuries are frequent, to name 2 for a player in 9 seasons sounds pretty lame to speak on.

 

Have I had some injuries? Sure. What athlete or player hasn’t? Look in the NBA, from Dwyane Wade whose career was hampered in the beginning due to injuries, to a player people associate with me, my cousin Ralph Sampson, who most people consider one of the top 3 college players ever and a guy who was first pick and only got to play like 6 NBA seasons, or Bill Walton, an NBA great who only played about 3 full professional seasons due to bad injuries.

 

I’ve managed 9 seasons so far, and he named two injuries I tried to play through. Does that sound justified?

 

Two, I’ll respond to coach’s comments, on assistants. Well, guess what, the words came from coach himself: he hates how he was given and made to take those assistants and not allowed to pick his own, and none of them know what they are doing. That’s what coach stated before. Also, it’s been stated he got stuck with Coach Allan [Gregorio, brother of Smart Sports head Pato Gregorio] only because his brother is high up in the Smart business, or whatever program sponsors the team. These are all facts I couldn’t know unless told, obviously. They said none of the coaching staff had any prior coaching credentials.

 

Regarding my knee not being swollen, well, both doctors I went to said it was swollen. One thought it was a mild sprain, but wouldn’t know without an MRI. The other thought it was capsulitis, which causes swelling in the back of my knee, and wanted me to take an MRI though to make sure, because it could be a few other things. [Coach Toroman] never attended either visit to the doctor, nor does he have any info on my contract, or how I was paid, or if things were handled.

 

Also, another point made by coach about missing a game against San Miguel, well that actually helps prove one of my points. He stated someone came for me an hour and a half before the game. Well, the game was at 10 AM, I landed at 11 PM the night before, because I had been back home for a week and a half.

 

Why I didn’t know about the game, and they had to try to send someone, is because I had no cellphone. This game took place in January, I signed a month earlier in the beginning of December, where it clearly states in my contract I was supposed to get a Filipino phone and SIM card right after signing the contract, so I could contact people and get contacted. A month later, I still had no phone. Ironically, a team named Smart Gilas, ran by Smart, a cell phone company, can’t get me a phone for over a month.

 

(Editor’s note: Sampson furnished the blog with a receipt for a cell phone connection dated January 6, a day after Smart Gilas’ tune-up game against San Miguel which Sampson missed.)

 

Noli apologized and said [the phone] got held up for some reason, and he took responsibility for me missing the game because I wasn’t informed about it, because I had no phone.

 

Also, about me not playing and refusing to play in the first 2 games, my agent told them I wouldn’t play until I signed a contract, because he wouldn’t risk injury without me being under contract and covered medically and everything. That’s standard procedure, plenty of players won’t play for a team until they signed a contract, unless it’s a player desperate for a job and has no other options, and has to do it that way.

 

Some players [on Smart Gilas] keep me in the loop about what’s going on. I guess Coach Toroman didn’t know about me sleeping on the floor without a bed and stuff, and asked some players if any of that stuff was true, and they confirmed it. I don’t like to mention any of the players though, because they’re under contract for 2 more years, and I don’t want to cause any friction for them.

Edited February 16, 2010 by greenarrow

[launchpad]

dont you guys think there might be more than what we are reading here,

 

for one reading both written by sampson and the coach, i think sampson would really like to play but would want to to be secure. but how much does he really want to play or does he really want to play at all since i think he feel disgusted being an import or called on to be a integral part of this new and expensive system of basketball and still get treated that way. i mean imagine sleeping on the floor? not getting paid

 

second i might be wrong, but reading also the segments of this 2 people im thinking is there a problem with how communication is within the team? im curious as to what degree did the team or coach himself reach out to sampson in trying to make him play in the first place. im feeling the coach might have a hard time since its already written that sampson wants out already.

 

both sides have their headaches heartaches and probably shortcomings that led to how it is now.

 

also its really interesting to know, if truly jamal wants to be release already even on an early time, how come gilas havent finalized this process. its like your asking someone to stay and keep doing their job with no incentives when that person wants to give up already.

 

<---- scratching head

[catsumhoto]

getting an import is usually problematic especially if we have limited budget.... speciall if you want to naturilized them they will demand for just compensation... remember an american player that played recently for the RUSSIA WOMENS TEAM.... she got a hefty bonus of 1 million US to play for the russian olympic team.... if we really do have the money might as well spend it for other sports where we have a chance to win an olympic medal.... a medal is a medal.... and a team sports medal only count as one medal in the medal standing....

[Morley]

getting an import is usually problematic especially if we have limited budget.... speciall if you want to naturilized them they will demand for just compensation... remember an american player that played recently for the RUSSIA WOMENS TEAM.... she got a hefty bonus of 1 million US to play for the russian olympic team.... if we really do have the money might as well spend it for other sports where we have a chance to win an olympic medal.... a medal is a medal.... and a team sports medal only count as one medal in the medal standing....

sana maging olympic event na ang chess para dun ka mag-cheer

[orionquest]

they could be the answer.. they have the perfect coach.. wag lang lalaki mga ulo.. at wag lang sisirain ng pulitika ang pagpapatakbo ng programang ito sigurado malayo mararating ng team na to..

[catsumhoto]

sana maging olympic event na ang chess para dun ka mag-cheer

 

 

even though i don't consider chess as a streneous sports unlike the other sports event... kung maging olympic event man and chess i think we stand a better chance in landing a medal in chess rather in basketball....

[Guest megalodon]

they could be the answer.. they have the perfect coach.. wag lang lalaki mga ulo.. at wag lang sisirain ng pulitika ang pagpapatakbo ng programang ito sigurado malayo mararating ng team na to..

Not really perfect but a coach who has a vast knowledge of the international game. All SG needs now is a naturalized big man who could rebound, post-up, and most importantly block or alter shots.

[junix]

Not really perfect but a coach who has a vast knowledge of the international game. All SG needs now is a naturalized big man who could rebound, post-up, and most importantly block or alter shots.

 

agree...someone in the mold of chris alexander?

[Guest megalodon]

agree...someone in the mold of chris alexander?

Yes chief. :thumbsupsmiley: