Gilas five on track – tough days ahead

MANILA, Philippines - Gilas Pilipinas isn’t alarmed by its jittery start in the 27th FIBA Asia Championship, knowing the 11-day regional cage meet is not a sprint race.

Even before the start of the tourney, Gilas coach Chot Reyes was saying their target is to hit peak form by the latter part of the competition serving as the Asian qualifier for the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Spain.

Reyes insists they’re still in the process of building up, looking to improve as they enter the second round of the elimination stage beginning tomorrow.

After making the grade from Group A, the home team is next going up against Group B teams Qatar, Japan and Hong Kong.

The Nationals continue to jockey for position in pursuit of an ideal match-up in the quarterfinal round – the start of the do-or-die games.

“We’re not yet happy. We can be happy only on Aug. 11 if we achieve our goal of getting a ticket to Spain,” said the Gilas bench chieftain.

With his team barely getting past Saudi Arabia and Jordan, Reyes said he’s disappointed but not alarmed, pointing out the tournament is a long, tough haul and not a sprint.

“We have to get going. We’re foolish if we believe we’re there and we have achieved a thing,” Reyes said.

But he believes they are ready for Qatar, Japan and Hong Kong, teams scouted by his deputies while he’s fully focused on their first-round games versus Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Chinese Taipei.

Keen observers on games by the Qataris, the Japanese and the Hong Kong side were coaches Norman Black, Jong Uichico, Ryan Gregorio, Nash Racela and Tab Baldwin.

Baldwin, the renowned American coach holding a five-day clinic for the Filipinos in Napier, New Zealand, flew over from Auckland Saturday to help out Gilas.

He dissected the Jordan game for Gilas since he ran the Jordan program leading to its silver-medal finish in the 2011 Asian joust in Wuhan, China.

And Baldwin could also be of great help reading the games of Qatar and Japan.

The Qataris and the Japanese play practically the same, influenced by American coach Tom Wisman.

Wisman, who has long been a fixture in Asian basketball circle, used to handle the Japanese national team before moving over to Qatar. Apparently, the new Japanese coach just continues Wisman’s program.

Both Qatar and Japan could also pose tough challenges to Gilas.

Gilas has an old score to settle with Qatar. Wisman and his team beat Reyes and his troops in their fight for third place in the fourth FIBA Asia Cup in Tokyo last year.

A team that pitched training camp in Istanbul, Turkey – away from the prying eyes of the opposition, the Qataris emerged the Group B top performer, topping the Japanese and the Hong Kong squad.

They are a solid team with naturalized player Jarvis Hayes, the 10th pick in the 2003 NBA Draft.

“They are like Jordan, a big team that will intimidate you,” said Reyes.

Japan can’t also be taken for granted.

The Japanese took control almost throughout before losing steam at the finish and yielding to the Qataris, 74-75.

An easy second-round assignment for Gilas is Hong Kong, a team that has never gone past the preliminary stage of the Asian championship in three decades.