 |
| Add caption |
Still, that's why you play the game and we still all hoped for a victory or, at the very least, a good showing.
And then Batang Gilas showed us exactly how great they already are. They went ahead to upset tournament favorites China,73-63, and they did it with style, substance, and poise.
After all, the final score doesn't do justice to the thumping the Batang Gilas boys gave the Chinese. At one point, Batang Gilas actually led by 18. As China made their final run, the boys kept their calm and won by making crucial defensive stops and then hitting their free throw.
Here are three things this game eatblished about this Batang Gilas team:
 |
| Sotto & Edu. Photo courtesy of FIBA.com |
One of the things everyone was curious about was how Kai Sotto and AJ Edu would play together. After all, we've never had one tall, athletic youth player before and we're still trying to learn how to play with him. Now we have two playing at the same time, with two more of almost equal height on the bench?
But back to Sotto and Edu. They are just perfect aas a combo. Why? Both are athletic rim protectors but while Sotto makes slashers change their shots with his arms raised high, Edu chases them down and goes for the moster block. Either way is intimidating and China fell into that unusual situation of being wild around the rim, all to avoid Edu and Sotto.
On offense, Sotto is more polished in the post, with an array of moves that are reminiscent of Yao Ming (ironically enough) while Edu is a rim runner and predatory offensive rebounder. Both have midrange jumpers but Edu has shown the ability to hit the occassional three.
Sotto is also a better passer but Edu is a better finisher. So yeah, they compliment each other perfectly.
 |
| Dave Ildefonso. Photo courtesy of FIBA.com |
Dave Ildefonso will tear up the UAAP. That is a fact waiting to happen. The young Ildefonso is not only very talented and athletic but is also a lights-out, cold blooded shooter. He's hit tough shots over tough competition and has never backed down from a challenge, not even from the unenviable task of guarding Chinese phenom Guo Haowen.
Dalph Panopio may just be 18 years old but he's playing like a pro already. Calm, steady, never panics, he's able to consistently find the open man or the open shot, something the Gilas U17 team point guards were unable to do. His clutch jumper with two minutes left in the fourth put a stop to the bleeding for Batang Gilas, who surrendered a 12-0 run to China. That's clutch right there.
Raven Cortez is averaging 9 rebounds per game and he is FIFTEEN YEARS OLD. He is 3 years younger than most of his opponents and he is eating them up on the boards. Not only that, he's just as good on defense as Edu and Sotto are, but with a different skill defensive set. While Edu and Sotto are shot blockers, Cortez is a Draymond Green-type defender, a quick, active, and intelligent defender who uses his length and reflexes to put opponents in awkward shooting situations. For a fifteen year old to do these things that even PBA big men have trouble doing...that's just crazy.
Thing #3 This Batang Gilas team is indeed a team.
There are no egos, no stories of school rivalries spilling onto practices or games, no selfishness on the court. They share the ball, they run the plays (you can actually see the play developing as they go through the various permutations), they know where everyone is supposed to be every time.
Credit every player for buying into the system but also to the coaching staff. Coahc Josh Reyes has done a magnificent job both drilling the Gilas boys as well as scouting the Chinese team.
As a reward for toppling China and topping their group, Batang Gilas gets a rest day. Let's hope they continue their run and take one more step closer to qualifying for the U19 World Champsionships.
Follow the ocmpetitions at http://www.fiba.basketball/asia/u18/2018
No comments:
Post a Comment