NEW TAIPEI CITY, Taiwan — Having played and starred for three national teams as the starting center, veteran player Asi Taulava doesn’t mind if he comes off the bench and play back up to naturalized player Marcus Douthit in the Smart-Gilas Pilipinas.

“He’s the better, more talented big guy,” said Taulava, who is here with improving the rest of the national team competing in the William R. Jones Cup. “That was the reason the SBP went out to naturalize him. That’s what we’re lacking.”

“We’re lacking somebody in Marcus’s size, his athletic ability, the way he plays. He’s an NBA material. He’s such a great player. He’s got everything that you can ask for,” he said.

“I feel good backing up Marcus. I can learn from him, the other things he does. I’m just happy to be on the team with him. He makes my job so much easier when I’m matching up against the seven-footers,” added Taulava.

The 38-year-old Taulava has played under coach Jong Uichico during the Asian Games in Busan and the PBA-backed team lost to South Korea in the semifinals.

He was also a member of two other RP team composed of professional players, in 2007 with mentor Chot Reyes in the FIBA-Asia Championship in Tokushima, Japan, and with coach Yeng Guiao during the 2009 FIBA-Asia Championship in Tianjin, China.

In both tournaments, which served as Olympic and World Championship qualifiers, respectively, the Nationals failed to achieve their goal.

With Smart-Gilas, Taulava, a former PBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), feels that they have a better chance in next month’s FIBA-Asia Championship in Wuhan, China, the qualifier for the 2012 London Olympics.

The national team is playing Jordan (2-0) at presstime. Smart-Gilas will face Malaysia Tuesday.

source:  Waylon Galvez -MB