MANILA, Philippines - Gilas Pilipinas traveled far and wide in a month-long journey, attending a clinic and playing 10 tune-up matches aimed at making the team tough enough to achieve its goal of breaking the knockout stage of the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Spain.
After playing the last of those warm-up games and finally heading for Seville, Spain – the battleground of “WC” Group B competition, the Gilas coaching staff declared they’re ready to go to battle.
“We’re better. Finally, after just one month of preparation, the system and defense is starting to fall into place at the level where we need it to be,” said Gilas assistant coach Josh Reyes on his Twitter account.
“Hopefully, it would give us enough of a fighting chance,” Reyes added.
The fiba.com placed Team Phl at No. 17 in the “Power Ladder,” fourth in Group B behind Greece, Argentina and Puerto Rico and ahead of Croatia and Senegal, three days before the start of the meet spread in six Spanish cities.
The FIBA web site based its ranking on games played by the 24 teams from May 29. In the case of Gilas Pilipinas, counted were games the Nationals played in their bronze-medal showing in the FIBA Asia Cup where they’re pitted against much, much lighter opponents compared to those they’re playing in Spain.
And so the Power Ladder is deceiving.
Gilas Pilipinas only got the kind of competition awaiting the team in Spain when the Nationals crisscrossed Spain and France, playing the ACB Selection, France, Australia, Ukraine, Euzkadi-Basque, Angola, Egypt and Dominican Republic.
Completing their 10 friendlies were a pair played at the end of a clinic attended in Miami, Florida where the Gilas pool was finally joined in by naturalized player Andray Blatche and veteran international coach Tab Baldwin.
The Phl training team clobbered the Miami Pro-Am Team, 95-74, then topped the Elev8 selection Monday, 93-84.
In their European tour, the Nationals prevailed over the ACB team and Egypt, made a good account of themselves in close losses to France and Dominican Republic and lost by big margins to Australia, Ukraine, Basque and Angola.
They were reeling from five straight losses when they got back on the winning track with a 74-65 triumph over Egypt Monday in Guadalajara, Spain.
The next day, Gilas Pilipinas then put up another gritty performance and barely dropped a close 79-86 loss to the world’s 26th-ranked Dominican Republic before a crowd of about 2,000 Filipinos at the Palacio Multiusos de Guadalajara.
Riding the momentum of a nine-point win over Egypt the previous day, the Nationals fought the Dominicans to a battle almost throughout before losing steam at the finish of the intense match marred by a technical infraction by Ranidel de Ocampo in the first half.
The Nationals faded away from a 75-all count and ended their series of tune-up games with a 4-6 win-loss record.
They had their ups and downs, including the fall of combo guard Jayson Castro in the game against Basque in San Sebastian that alarmed the team.
Luckily, the Talk n Text stalwart was spared of a major injury, but he was still rested by coach Chot Reyes versus Egypt and Dominican Republic.
Gilas Pilipinas’ WC buildup took off the wrong foot when a supposed two-game series against an NBA selection at the Smart Araneta Coliseum was cancelled in the last minute minus the sanction from the NBA.
The ultimate test Gilas Pilipinas had hoped for in its last stand at home ended up as a mere basketball clinic to the consternation of everybody including Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Manny V. Pangilinan.
The business magnate and sports patron, nonetheless, promised continued support to Philippine basketball notwithstanding the hitch.
And thus the Nationals left the country last July 24 for about a month of training that hopefully has really made them ready to show decent stand in Seville.
They’re not expected to make a podium finish. The country would be happy seeing them compete with pride and honor against the world’s best.