Coca-Cola is the squads final adversary in the Commissioners Cup and the game is set on Thursday. It doesnt look like the Fighting 15 will advance to the quartersan eventuality that sympathizers insist could be a blessing in disguise.
Playing in the PBA hasnt been a pleasant experience for the nationals. The typical PBA style of posting up to maximize the presence of big imports isnt suited for international competition where the pace is extremely up-tempo and the accent is constant motion. So you had a tricky situation where Uichico tried to play against the tide, hoping the national team might be able to pick up some lessons along the way.
Fans, of course, expected a lot from the Fighting 15 in the Second Conference. After all, the leagues biggest stars were suited up for the national squad. They were supposed to be the best of the best. But most fans fail to understand that Uichicos primary goal isnt to win the Commissioners Cup title or qualify for the quarterfinals. Theres a much bigger picture in Uichicos mindthe picture of going for gold in Busan.
Uichico used the Commissioners Cup to slowly work Danny Ildefonso, Andy Seigle, and Noy Castillo back in the groove from a long layoff due to injuries. He used it to experiment on different combinations, keeping in the back of his mind not the opposition in the PBA but the opposition in the Asian Games. Uichico also used it to gauge how much more work had to be done before declaring the team fit and ready for the Busan wars.
How the Fighting 15 fared in the Commissioners Cup isnt a fair reading of how theyll fare in Busan. So even if the national squad won only three of its first nine games, it shouldnt trigger an alarm. What should worry Uichico, however, is the national squads apparent lack of desire to go all out in some outings. Maybe, its because the players treated the games like they were scrimmages. Maybe, they figured it didnt make sense to fight tooth and nail with Uichico doing all sorts of experimentation. Whatever, theres no excuse for a lackadaisical attitude. Thats something Uichico must address immediately.
Obviously, the national team cant be idle for the next seven weeks. The players must be exposed to more games, not just gym sessions. Theyve got to feel the pressure of playing to win, not just playing to stay sharp. An overseas tripperhaps, to Australia would be perfect. The Australian pro clubs are now in training camp and should provide tough competition for the Philippine squad. Lindsay Gaze has proposed to bring his Melbourne Tigers to Manila for a series of exhibitionsthat shouldnt be ignored.
Another option is to form a practice team to play against and use it to simulate the opposition in Busan. Assistant coaches Allan Caidic and Eric Altamirano could call the shots for the "other" team while Uichico and chief scout Binky Favis could stay with the nationals. Caidic was on a scouting trip to Japan and Altamirano to Korea. Favis accompanied both coaches in those countries and also scouted teams at the Asian Champions Cup in Kuala Lumpur. Favis will scout China and Lebanon at the World Championships in Indiana late this month.
Comprising the practice team could be players from eliminated PBA clubs and orphaned Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA) veterans like Romel Adducul, Reynel Hugnatan, and John Ferriols. To beef up the practice team, Uichico could invite imports from eliminated PBA teams.
Uichico could also use the coming days to confer with PBA supervisor of officials Romy Guevarra on how to take advantage of loopholes in the international rules. Guevarra said hes more than willing to share valuable tips with Uichicotips that, in close games, could mean the difference between winning and losing.
Then, a week before leaving for Busan, Uichico might consider the national team playing in a best-of-3 series against a PBA All-Filipino selectionno imports, please. Imagine the Fighting 15 going up against a team made up of DaVonn Harp, Marlou Aquino, Willie Miller, E.J. Feihl, Nick Belasco, RenRen Ritualo, Johhny Abarrientos, Vic Pablo, John Arigo, Dorian Pena, Chris Calaguio, and Mark Caguioa.
Since the PBA isnt thinking of playing an All-Star Game this year, maybe the best-of-3 series could fill in the void.