Gilas 3.0 vs Gilas 2.0: The Wings

It’s the elephant in the room that no one wants to talk about: how would Gilas 3.0 fare against Gilas 2.0, the acknowledged best Philippine basketball team in recent times?

Just to be clear, we’ll be using the Gilas 2.0 lineup used at the FIBA World Cup, which means 2014 Andray Blatche will be in play, as well as Paul Lee but not Larry Fonacier nor Marcus Douthit.

In Part 2 of this series, we’ll be talking about the wings.

GILAS 2.0	GILAS 3.0
Gabe Norwood	Gabe Norwood
Gary David	Matt Ganuelas-Rosser
Jeff Chan	JC Intal
	Calvin Abueva

Again, for the sake of argument, let’s assume that Gilas 3.0’s Norwood is equal to his Gilas 2.0 version. Let’s talk David and Chan versus MGR, Intal and Abueva.

ON OFFENSE

Gilas 2.0’s wings were deadlier long-range threats while Gilas 3.0’s wingss are more versatile offensively. Given the rising basketball IQ of our Asian opponents, I am more inclined to think offensive versatility might pay off in close games, as Gilas 2.0 had the tendency to shoot ourselves into or out of games.

Gary David and Jeffrei Chan are among the PBA’s certified long-range shooters. They’re both deadly in catch-and-shoot situations and both are capable of destroying a zone in a matter of minutes with their outside sniping. Both are also capable of scoring inside, given a little space and maybe a screen or two.  But both made their bones with their shooting they are far and away better than their 3.0 counterparts.

That being said, MGR, Intal, and Abueva have more ways to score the ball than just shooting. All three are more athletic than either David or Chan and all three can hit the occasional three pointer. Abueva, in particular, has been showcasing a pretty accurate teardrop shot against opposing seven footers. All three can also dunk with authority, dish while on a drive and have been able to crash the offensive boards for second chance opportunities.

ON DEFENSE

Gilas 3.0 also has the better defensive wings, with their athleticism being the main factor.

Chan and David are both willing defenders but they are far from being true 3-and-D guys. While you don’t have to necessarily hide either one on defense, you also can’t put them on the opponent’s best wing player. Coach Chot Reyes defensive schemes was put in place to help players like Chan and David, whose offensive skills were highly valued, enough to offset their lack of defensive skills. Don’t get me wrong, both were willing defenders but desire can only bring you so far. The defensive instincts and skills just weren’t there.

On Gilas 3.0, Ganuelas-Rosser and Intal have both shown that they have the athletic ability to slow down quicker forwards and harass bigger players, all within the context of the team’s defensive schemes. They both have good leaping ability, speed and just enough heft to avoid getting tossed around. Abueva, on the other hand, has been a revelation. His trademark pesky defense that has earned him the ire of opposing PBA teams has been reaping him a fantastic reputation as a guy you can’t run over on defense. Asian forwards are already suffering from apoplexies thinking about how to avoid his elbows and Abueva is still sure to sneak one or two of those in.

Next up: The Guards

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