Delta Pineda believes time will come for Juan GDL in Gilas

Converge rising star Juan Gomez de Liaño wound up one of the three final cuts when Gilas Pilipinas revealed the lineup for the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers.

 Though his ward did not crack the Final 12 for the recently concluded first window against Guam, FiberXers coach Delta Pineda could not help but be proud.

“Siyempre, malaking karangalan na masama ang bata sa FIBA or Gilas (pool). 'Yon lang na ma-consider siya, malaking bagay sa'min,” said Pineda after Converge’s 114-97 win over Magnolia when the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup action resumed Friday, Dec. 5.

 "Especially sa tiwalang ibibigay noong bata sa team, 'yong experience kung natuloy siya, marami ang mai-shi-share sa’min.”

[RELATED STORY: Tim Cone says Juan Gomez de Liaño will be on Gilas Pilipinas team soon]

 Before getting the Gilas pool call-up, the second overall pick in this year’s draft has taken the league by storm.

 JDGL put up a triple-double performance right in his debut, then achieved the same feat in the FiberXers' 125-108 thrashing of Terrafirma last Oct. 22.

 Against Ginebra — whose coach, incidentally, is Gilas mentor Tim Cone — he rifled in 32 points, six rebounds and six assists.

[RELATED STORY: Cone on Juan Gomez de Liaño: 'Looked like the best player in the league']

 But while he did not make the cut now, Pineda believes that Gomez de Liaño’s time will come soon.

 “Although medyo hindi pa yata ngayon, but darating ang oras ni Juan sa national team,” Pineda said.

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 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.