Gilas vs Iran: The Matchups

It's game day and you know what that means.

Means we get to guess what will make or break this game for Gilas.

So here are three match ups that will be crucial for us.

Match up #1: Hamed Haddadi vs the Gilas Frontline
There is no Asian big man who poses a bigger threat that Iran's hamed Haddadi. The former NBA player is big, mobile, skilled, and a fierce competitor. With no Andray Blatche to pull him out of the shaded lane or make him work extra hard on defense, Haddadi will have lots of energy on the offensive end of things...which means our smaller-than-expected frontline will have to a harder time keeping him in check.



I'm guessing Asi Taulava gets first crack at Haddadi, as Gilas will want to make Haddadi work as hard as he can early on in the game. Then Standhardinger will come in to make him run side-to-side and then it's back to Taulava or Belga for more pushing in the post.

Advantage: Iran...by a little.

Match up #2 Samad Nikkhah Bahrami vs Gabe Norwood/Marcio Lassiter
While Haddadi is Iran's most powerful weapon, Bahrami is its most versatile, hence, he's the more dangerous player. The veteran Iranian forward is a do-it-all player, scoring from long range and inside, plays determined defense, and handles point-forward duties like he was born to it.

Gabe Norwood and Marcio Lassiter will have the tough task of locking Bahrami down...and they're probably the only ones with a chance against him. Gabe will probably draw Bahrami first, with Marcio sliding to the SF slot whenever Gilas plays small ball. No one else on the roster has the athleticism to stay with Bahrami (unless Allein Malicsi has suddenly leveled up tremendously on defense)

Advantage: Iran...by a lot.

Match up #3 Behnam Yakchali vs Paul Lee/Scottie Thompson
This is another matchup that should be hellish for Gilas. Yakchali is a legit scorer and tough defender. He rebounds like crazy and is very physical. While he does have a tendency to defer to both Haddadi and Bahrami, he has the ability to score points in bunches and dominate his counterpart, much like he did for a couple of games in the 2017 Asia Cup.

Paul Lee will probably be overmatched on defense but the Leethal Weapon will make Yakchali work on defense too. Scottie Thompson is a lot like Yakchali (except he's abotu 5 inches shorter) so maybe he can give Yakchali a dose of his own medicine.

Advantage: Iran...barely.

Given all these, the game isn't played on paper. Hopefully, our new recruits (Cabagnot, Sangalang) will bring enough to the table to confuse the Iranians and help Gilas bring home the W.