Caidic may be tapped for national team

Caidic may be tapped for national team
by By Rey Joble
http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/insideSports.htm?f=2009/september/14/sports2.isx&d=2009/september/14

AFTER handling Allan Caidic for the first and only time against National Basketball Association stars of different generations, Yeng Guiao was truly convinced The Triggerman can still play a special purpose for Philippine basketball.

Sinking five 3-point shots in one quarter, a day after he torched the hoops during their team’s only practice session, Caidic is seriously being considered to play “a special role” by Guiao once his all-pro national team gets another chance of competing in major Asian tournaments.

That is, of course, if the 1990 Philippine Basketball Association Most Valuable Player makes himself available.

“Definitely, he has the talent,” said Guiao, referring to the shooting prowess of the 45-year-old Caidic.

“Puwede pa talaga siya sa RP team because a player of his caliber is the one which we lacked in Fiba Asia Championship. Of course, the biggest question there is kung willing ba siya na maglaro? If yes, he can play a special purpose for the team,” added Guiao, whose team lost to the NBA Generation Team, 86-109, in an exhibition game at the Araneta Coliseum Friday night.

That special purpose includes Caidic playing the role as designated hitter for few minutes, which will be enough to give the team a big lift.

The Powerade-Team Pilipinas mentor tasked to handle a selection of past and present PBA stars, was truly amazed by Caidic’s excellent marksmanship.

Caidic retired at the end of the 1999 season as the record-holder for 3-pointers in a single game with 17, as well as most points by an individual in a game with 79. During the PBA Selection’s first and only practice session, he buried 10 triples.

The Triggerman caught the fancy of NBA legends Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the all-time leading scorer in the NBA, who knows when to spot a good player.

The only cager to have played for three generations and owned the distinction as the only one who played against such great players like Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Julius Erving, Larry Bird, and all the way to the time of Michael Jordan, Abdul-Jabbar was quickly impressed by Caidic.

“No doubt about it, Caidic was the most impressive among the local players,” said Abdul-Jabbar, who possessed the game’s ultimate weapon when he was playing in the NBA—the Sky Hook.

Abdul-Jabbar wasn’t the only player, whose attention was caught by a “Triggerman” wearing jersey no. 8.

His fellow NBA great Dominique Wilkins, a two-time Slam Dunk champion, also praised Caidic.

“For one quarter, I thought he could win the game all by himself,” said Wilkins. “You can see that he certainly has the talent and his shooting was remarkable. But he simply didn’t have enough gas in the second half.”