Once again, they had their chances. Pitted against the competition, they fought it out, and the outcome was somehow satisfactory. With the afterglow of its successful golden campaign in the Jones Cup, they were poised to give opposing teams a run for their money. The recent fourth place finish of our Smart-Gilas National Team in the FIBA Asia Cup in Tokyo, Japan was a clear indication of the team’s progress and what is to come. And a near-podium finish among ten nations is not that bad considering that the level of competition here is much tougher.
Gilas relies on an efficient offense characterized by quick ball movement that enables a lot of scoring opportunities for every man on the floor. This works to the advantage of licensed shooters like Jeff Chan and Gary David, the latter being more of an explosive scorer who can engage in “hero” mode at crunch time. Another option will always be post-up plays with naturalized center Marcus Douthit. The beanpole center can create match-up problems with his footwork and post-area instincts. As the last line of defense, Douthit is also a force to reckon with, though he can be a magnet for fouls. Reliable guards like L.A. Tenorio (the only natural point guard for this tourney) and Larry Fonacier spread out the defense of opposing teams with their long bombs and crisp passes. Gabe Norwood and Jared Dillinger’s length and athleticism match up well with tall guards and wingmen giving them a hard day’s work in the office. Above all the individual characteristics, the team’s abilidad or native guile is a quality that is unique and should be honed further. For they are going up against taller players, this guile is aided by another Filipino trait, “diskarte”, as they get creative with in-game situations and scoring options.
Though the team failed to qualify for the 2014 World Basketball Championship through this tournament, they could still gain entry by topping the Southeast Asia Basketball Championship which will be held next year. Expect Gilas to continue on improving for it is a program. Under the helm of consummate coach Chot Reyes, they will only get better and better as they make good use of that native ability fueled by patriotism.
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