Juan Gomez de Liaño continues to impress in his first PBA season. Now, he gets the call-up to join the Gilas Pilipinas pool for the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers.
Converge rookie Juan Gomez de Liaño is joining the Gilas Pilipinas pool for the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers.
National team coach Tim Cone bared this to reporters Sunday, Nov. 16.
“We’ve invited Juan Gomez de Liano to the practice. That does not necessarily mean he’s going to be in the final 12, but he’s going to come join us,” said Cone after his Ginebra squad subdued Phoenix, 102-93, to boost its playoff chances in the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup.
[RELATED STORY: Cone on Juan Gomez de Liaño: 'Looked like the best player in the league']
This came just two days after Gomez de Liaño tormented the Gin Kings in the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup.
He wound up with a career-best 32 points, six rebounds, and six assists to lift Converge past the fan favorites, 106-96.
[RELATED STORY: Delta Pineda on Juan GDL's late layup in Converge win vs Ginebra: 'I gave the go signal']
Cone, though, was quick to say that the Gilas coaching staff already had its eyes on the FiberXers rising star.
“We’ve had him in mind for a while. But it was a consensus among the coaching staff, just feeling that’s the position we felt we could use a little bit more of a scorer and ball controller and a pick and roll guy,” Cone said.
Gilas begins its preparations for back-to-back games in Window 1 of the qualies against Guam on Tuesday at the Blue Eagle Gym.
—
Like most sportswriters, Jan Ballesteros once dreamed of becoming a professional hooper. But he learned the hard way that it’s not for everyone.
He continues to be involved in the sport he loves, but this time as a member of the PBA Press Corps. Aside from primarily covering the PBA, he is also assigned to cover Gilas Pilipinas.