As of now, Barangay Ginebra pivot Greg Slaughter is listed as a naturalized candidate, along with 18th Asian Games veterans Stanley Pringle and Christian Standhardinger, for the Gilas Pilipinas squad that is set to leave for Iran on Monday for the fourth window of the FIBA World Cup qualifiers. One piece of paper can change all of that within 48 hours.
Slaughter, who was part of the original Smart Gilas program in 2009, claims that he should be eligible for the national team. However, Gilas team manager Butch Antonio said on Monday Slaughter still needs to fulfill some document issues (more specifically his original birth certificate) before he is fully cleared to suit up for the team as a local.
It will be recalled that there were three Filipino-Americans on that Smart Gilas selection, but only fellow candidate Marcio Lassiter and injured Meralco cager Chris Lutz were able to submit all the required documents by FIBA (whose eligibility rules changed in the aftermath of the 2011 FIBA Asia Championships due to Qatar fielding five African players as a result of their liberal citizenship laws). Slaughter, who was no longer part of the program then, never got to complete those requirements.
"I got my (Philippine) passport at a really young age, even before I knew I was going come and play basketball out here," Slaughter told ESPN5 after Monday's initial reconvening of the squad at the Meralco Gym in Pasig City. "I've played in FIBA tournaments before with the national team so I think I should be good. I'll do what I can (to) get my papers in and the rest is all up to the management and FIBA."
The 30-year-old Slaughter saw action for the Philippines in two FIBA Asia Champions Cups in 2009 (Indonesia) and 2010 (Qatar) and the 2010 FIBA Asia Stanković Cup (Lebanon). In all occasions, he, along with Lassiter and Lutz were listed as locals.
"I already informed my mom to send my birth certificate within the next couple of days through courier (service)," he said. "Once that's done, I should be good to go."
Gilas Pilipinas head coach Yeng Guiao opted against making a decision on which players to field for the Iran tiff pending Slaughter's clearance, but when that process is done it is apparent that the four-time PBA All-Star is a shoo-in to make the team and be the front man in defending aging 7'3" Iranian behemoth Hamed Haddadi.
"You really have to see Greg in person to really know how big he is and how much of a factor he can be," Gilas veteran Matthew Wright shared after the practice session that saw Slaughter take to the system quite naturally.
"I like the system," Slaughter intimated. "It's pretty free-flowing, not too much dribbling, more on passing and movement. That's actually what we're doing over at Ginebra, so it's pretty comfortable for me."
He was impressed by Guiao's demeanour and how 20-year PBA grizzled warrior Asi Taulava has helped him come along.
"Coach Yeng is already very encouraging, Asi is really helping me out right now (to learn the system), too," Slaughter said.
At the time Slaughter communicated to his mother in Virginia about what needs to be sent over immediately, he, Antonio and the coaching staff are confident that everything will be fine within the next couple of days.
Slaughter may join a frontline that could consist of 6'9" Taulava, 6'8" Standhardinger (who is the consensus choice as the naturalized player owing to Iran's size), 6'8" Poy Erram (who was impressive in his first national team stint during the Indonesia Asiad), 6'8" former Gilas member Raymond Almazan and Magnolia's 6'8" Ian Sangalang (who also looked comfortable during the initial sessions).
Slaughter will be an integral part of the team and Guiao will need his burly presence in Tehran if he hopes to pull off an upset against the Asian Games' silver medallists on their home floor. But more than the size, Slaughter is also a solid locker room influence and his positivity could also affect the team's morale and outlook heading into the first game of the second round.
It's been more than seven years since Slaughter donned the national colors (he was in his Smart Gilas jersey during the first practice-a throwback to his days of service), and to have a more mature, developed and astute version of himself on the squad could actually be the difference-maker for the rest of the competition.