US coach says China beatable

Malaysian national basketball team coach Felton Sealey says China’s the team to beat but the Philippines shouldn’t take other title contenders like Lebanon, South Korea, and Syria lightly at the 14th Asian Games in Busan on Sept. 28 to Oct. 14.

"I think China’s beatable," says Sealey who coached in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Thailand before moving to Malaysia two years ago. "China’s problem is it tends to play to the level of the competition. China doesn’t play as hard as it should. So it’s possible a team on a good night can beat China on a bad night. You can catch China sleeping. China’s weaknesses are in the backcourt and in the wings. The point guards aren’t creative and there isn’t a true slasher in the team, someone who can play off the dribble."

Sealey cautions the Philippines not to overlook the West Asian countries like Lebanon, Syria, and Qatar because "they’re got the talent of the black athlete." He says some teams fall into the trap of concentrating solely on China that they end up getting upset by other teams along the way.

Sealey ranks the Philippines outside of the top six teams in Asia at the moment. That’s because, he explains, the Philippines refuses to send its best players to the Asian Basketball Confederation (ABC) qualifiers for the Olympics and World Championships.

"I think the Philippines is living in a dream world," he says. "Let’s get real here. The Philippines was one of the ABC founders but its best players don’t play in the ABC Championships. Why not? Is the Philippines content to win in the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games? It’s time the Philippines gets down from its high horse. I respect Philippine basketball but how good is it really? The best Filipino players should compete against the best in Asia and try to qualify for the Olympics and World Championships."

Sealey, 43, says he’d like to see the Philippines back on top in Asia.

"The Philippines is the beacon for Asia in basketball, the mother of the game, where basketball started in Asia," continues Sealey. "Sending its best players once in four years to play in the Asian Games isn’t enough. The SEA Games is no competition for the Philippines. Why not challenge the best? Filipino players deserve to play in the Olympics and the World Championships. They’ve got the talent and the skills to qualify. Filipinos can be a world threat but they’ve got to work hard and play as a team. United you stand, divided you fall. The fragmentation in the Philippine basketball is a disgrace. The leadership problem that dragged for nine months in the Basketball Association of the Philippines was a fiasco and an embarrassment."

Sealey says because the Philippines is a melting pot, its players are exposed to different styles and the diversity is an advantage in international competition."

"The Filipino style of play is different — the players know how to play aggressive defense, they’re creative," he adds. "Filipino players are damned good but they’ve got to work hard to get to the next level. Playing for the country is a matter of national pride — not a matter of money. You can’t afford to be selfish in basketball because the game’s bigger than all of us. I think the Philippines should play in more major tournaments. The Philippines is blessed because it’s not hard to find good basketball players."

Sealey, a Boston native, played guard for the University of Oregon, the same school that produced such National Basketball Association (NBA) veterans like Ron Lee, Terrell Brandon and Blair Rasmussen. His coach was Dick Harter, now an assistant with the Boston Celtics.

A physical education major, Sealey says teaching is his passion and that’s why he enjoys coaching.

In Malaysia, Sealey’s primary job is to whip up a competitive national team that will play at the World Junior Championships in Kuala Lumpur next year. "Youth is on our side," says Sealey who was recruited for the task by ABC and Malaysia Basketball Association (MABA) secretary-general Dato Yeoh Choo Hock. "We’re eager to play. We understand our mission. We’re hungry. We play hard and we play together. We’re not big but because we work so hard, we’re always a threat to steal a game or two from the favorites. I enjoy working with the MABA people — makes it easy for me to wake up in the morning and go to work."

Sealey says the problems he faces are huge. "Our player pool is small," he explains. "We’re teaching basic skills. We’re creating athletes. We’re trying to develop good athletes and good students. We’ve got to organize more league play in the school system. We don’t play enough games. And once we get a team together, it’s difficult to keep the players on board because there isn’t too much action on the league level."

Sealey says the national seniors team accomplished its goal at the recent SEA Games — to place within the top three. He piloted Malaysia to a bronze medal finish.

Sealey, a former assistant coach at Drake University, is committed to develop hoops in Asia. He has no contract in Malaysia — only a handshake with Dato Yeoh to seal their relationship. "They can kick me out anytime and I can leave anytime," says Sealey. But entering his 18th year as a coach in Asia, Sealey looks more determined than ever to stay longer.