China looms as the future of world caging

(Editor’s note: The following is the third part of an article on Philippine basketball and the national team.)

African teams such as Angola (27th), Nigeria (30th), Senegal (43rd), Mali (51st), Central African Republic (59th), Algeria (60th), Belize (63rd), Cyprus (69th), Tunisia (70th), Ivory Coast (77th), Morocco (78th), and Guyana (87th) can beat the Philippines — or any Asian team — in an exhibition tournament. As an example, during the 1998 World Championships in Athens, Greece, Nigeria beat Japan, 70-60, for 13th place, while Senegal beat Korea, 75-72, for 15th place.

Retired PBA import Lamont Strothers assessed that the Philippines can be compared to US NCAA Division 1 or 2 teams — or, in other words, American college ballplayers that China or South Korea can easily beat. During the 1998 Asiad, the Centennial Team lost a number of games to American college players — and won only a game in a one-point overtime victory over a Division II school.

If you look at China, they can beat American selections such as the NBA Legends and, in a three-game series from May 5-9, 2001, a selection from the US’ International Basketball League (IBL).

China also split a two-game exhibition series with the Dirk Nowitzki-led Dallas Mavericks from August 8-9, 2000. The Chinese lost Game 1, 80-92, but earned an overtime victory in Game 2, 93-90.

Even if the mighty Chinese have not reached the quarters of the World Championships or Olympic Games as compared to the Philippines, they are now touted as the future of world basketball by cage analysts. The so-called "Great Wall"— having Yao Ming, Bateer Menk and deposed national team member Wang Zhizhi in that frontline — is a reason for this analysis.

At the ongoing World Championships, China held its own with a 12-point lead against the US Dream Team before losing, 65-84. Many did not expect the Chinese to give the NBA players a very hard time. The US team later lost to Argentina and Yugoslavia.

Other countries also played exhibition games abroad. To base the eurobasket.com rankings from the recent exhibition games that the Selecta-RP team had, the Philippines lost twice to sixth-ranked Italy and 26th-ranked Latvia. But the Philippines upset 22nd-ranked Ukraine, 100-98 during the last day of the Torneo Gianatti in Sondrio, Italy — though the Ukranians‚ touted NBA players were not around. (To be continued)