When
the 2013 FIBA Asia Championships was held in Manila, the Philippines chose to
be in Group A with Chinese-Taipei, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Among the three
teams, Chinese-Taipei was considered, hands-down, Gilas’ most dangerous
opponent. Jordan was also a cause for concern, especially with naturalized
Jimmy Baxter in good form. As for Saudi Arabia? Well, everyone agreed that they
would be the whipping boy of the group.
With
Gilas playing Saudi Arabia on the first day of competitions, the general
consensus was that the Philippine team would be getting a practice game right
before the “serious” games.
And
then, the game was actually played. Maybe the Gilas staff underestimated the
Saudi players. Maybe they didn’t scout them well enough. Maybe the Saudis
improved immensely from when they first qualified for the FIBA Asia
Championships.
Whatever
the reason may be, that first quarter of play put tiny icicles of doubt into
the hearts of Gilas supporters everywhere, as Gilas looked shell shocked at the
fast-breaking, board-crashing opponents. By the end of the first quarter, Saudi
Arabia had a 2point lead, 16-14, and had put a dent in the Philippines’
mystique of invincibility.
To
the credit of Gilas, they recovered pretty quickly and outscored the Saudis
12-21 in the second quarter. They also won the game by 12, a margin that many
felt was way to little for a team that was supposedly heads and shoulders above
its previous incarnation, the same team that beat Iran with Haddadi, Bahrami,
and Kamrani in its lineup at Jones Cup held just the year before.
My
personal point of view was yes, we did take Saudi Arabia lightly. Gilas players
did not have a clue who they should be guarding tightly at the three point line
and who they should sag off on. They didn’t know who likes driving and popping,
who has a tendency to cheat on D, who they can exploit on the block, who is a
threat from the corner… These are the things that come with proper scouting,
proper game planning, and even proper game management.
Of
the three, we are probably most familiar with Hong Kong. Which means there aren’t
any excuses for not taking their game apart. Duncan Reid, Lo Yi Ting, Chun Wai
Wong, and Siu Wing Chan should all be watched closely, as any of them could
break out with a monster game.
Palestine
and Kuwait last played in the 2014 Asian Games and, to their credit, gave a
good accounting of themselves. Kuwait has players who can score both inside and
outside while Palestine is more a predatory team with a still developing half
court game. Both squads are very tough and rugged (as most Middle Eastern teams
are) but can be pressured into making mistakes due to inexperience with top-notch
competition.
Again,
the main problem Gilas will have is their unfamiliarity with their competition.
Game tapes and scouts information should be a priority for Gilas as the worst
thing that could happen is for us to be on the wrong side of a historic upset.
For
my original thoughts on the Gilas vs KSA game, go to http://sportsfandom.blogspot.com/2013/08/gilas-vs-ksa-some-thoughts.html
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