[ad_1]
Juan Gómez de Liano was the constant presence the young Gilas team needed when they competed in the Manama bubble of the 2021 FIBA Asian Cup Qualifiers.
And consequent it was.
The 6-foot-1 shooting guard for the University of the Philippines averaged 13.0 points on 50 percent shooting from the center to tag along with 4.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.
According to 21-year-old Fil-Spaniard, Gilas program director Tab Baldwin set him a challenge: to be one of the leaders who had to step up during the four-day stretch in Bahrain.
“It has been a true honor and a blessing for me to have this opportunity,”Gómez de Liano expressed to Tiebreaker Times.
“It’s also been a great experience overall, to be able to understand the game even more and learn a lot from Coach Tab and the rest of the coaching staff.”
It’s safe to say that Gómez de Liano showed that he can lead a team.
In addition to scoring baskets, a talent everyone knows he possesses, Gomez de Liano, who was recovering from a right index finger injury, also crashed the boards and created opportunities for his teammates. Furthermore, despite being one of the youngest players in the squad, he became one of the vocal leaders of the team.
Despite his excellent campaign, Gómez de Liano is far from satisfied.
“Personally, I could have done better, but it’s always a learning process.
“Coach Tab really believed in me and wanted me to become one of the leaders of this team. That’s my job as a base. Be more vocal, facilitate, focus on the system and just create for my teammates and try to make the right plays. “ he continued.
With the final Qualifiers window just two months away, Gomez de Liano plans to get to work immediately after a short break.
“I work out of season with Better Basketball!”
