Puerto Rico plays in the FIBA ​​window without Díaz, Piñeiro and Santiago Jr.

The Puerto Rican forward Isaiah Piñeiro and Benito Santiago Jr. and Jorge Bryan Díaz center They will not play in the two qualifying window games for the AmeriCup 2022 tournament this Friday and Saturday.

Piñeiro, an important addition to the team in the past FIBA World Championship, will not be able to make the trip to Puerto Rico, the president of the local basketball federation, Yum Ramos, informed.

In the case of Santiago Jr. and Díaz are their losses for personal reasons.

Piñeiro, 25, is active in the Latvian professional league with club VEF Riga. The sanitary protocols to re-enter the European country require a 14-day quarantine to prevent COVID-19 infections, therefore the guardian will not travel to the island.

Isaiah will not be able to make the journey. The restrictions are very complicated. He was very interested in joining (with Puerto Rico). We’ve had all the negotiations, with FIBA, with the club, with Latvia, everything. The team even sent a letter saying they had no problem with him participating. But ultimately the limitations are the limitations. We can’t fight that, ”said Ramos.

In Latvia, Piñeiro scores an average of 10.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 29.6 minutes as a reserve in six games.

Currently there are 13 active players in training sessions for the national team. The final cut will be made on Thursday, the day before the game against Mexico. On Saturday the Puerto Ricans will meet the Bahamas.

The list is headed by the former NBA guards José Juan Barea and Shabazz NapierThe latter makes his debut with the Netherlands Team.

Training will also be completed by Iván Gandía, guards Gian Clavell, Isaac Sosa and José “Money” Rodríguez, forwards Chris Ortiz, Emmy Andújar and Alexis “Bebo Colón, along with forwards Timajh Parker, Ramón Clemente, Gilberto Clavell and the attackers. Devon Collier center.

Puerto Rico plays 1-3, like the Bahamians, in Group D. The Mexicans are 2-2 and the United States are unbeaten in four games to secure their presence in the AmeriCup.