Countdown to FIBA Asia starts: Gilas right on track, says Reyes

MANILA, Philippines – Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes said they have developed camaraderie, got into shape and, most importantly, installed the system that they want to play as the host cage federation began Tuesday its 30-day countdown to the 27th FIBA Asia Championship.

“We’re still far away from being 100-percent ready, but we’ve definitely gone a long way since the start of our training last June 1,” Reyes told The STAR.

“I think we’re 60-percent ready now. We may be 90 percent by Aug. 1, and hopefully we hit 100 percent during the tournament or as the tourney goes on,” Reyes also said.

Almost at the same time as the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas began the FIBA Asia countdown, the Spanish basketball body and FIBA International launched the official countdown to the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup with the unveiling of a Tissot countdown clock in Madrid.

Over the course of the next 14 months, the clock will count down the days, hours, minutes and seconds leading to the tip-off of FIBA’s flagship competition on Aug. 30, 2014.

Incidentally, the 27th FIBA Asia Championship serves as the Asian qualifying tourney to the world joust. The top three in the Asian event slug it out with the world’s best in 2014 cagefest that will have two major venues in Madrid and Barcelona.

“We practically started from scratch. But though we’re cramming, we’ve covered about 60 percent of preparation,” said Reyes.

Already practicing twice a day, Gilas Pilipinas further steps up its training in its New Zealand trip slated July 9-19. It’s the alternative training of the Phl team following the scratching of its supposed participation in the Jones Cup.

“We’ve put in majority of the system we want to install. We hope to complete everything in New Zealand. The target is to be 85-percent ready as we return home,” said Reyes.

Gilas Pilipinas will also have twice-a-day daily session in the Kiwi land, practicing in the morning and playing tune-up matches in the evening.

The Nationals play a total of six games in New Zealand, simulating the two three-game rounds of the FIBA Asia tourney.

Highlighting Gilas’ six-game series is the final game against the New Zealand national team on the 18th.

“We scheduled it like the first two rounds of FIBA Asia – rest day on the 15th and we go home on the 19th,” said Reyes.

During the FIBA Asia, Gilas Pilipinas will take on Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Chinese Taipei in the first round, then most possibly, Lebanon, Qatar and Japan in the second round.

And to get a less dangerous quarterfinal round match-up, Gilas Pilipinas must finish first or second in the A-B bracket.

The idea is to avoid an early knockout showdown with defending champion China and two-time titlist Iran. The two other teams likely to make the knockout stage from the C-D bracket are South Korea and Kazakhstan.

After their New Zealand trip, the Filipinos play the Kazakhs in a tune-up match at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.