Philippinel 5 fourth among Fiba contenders

TAIPEI – FIBA.COM considered titleholder Iran, China, South Korea and the Philippines the top four in power ranking in Week One of the lead-up to the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship set Sept. 23-Oct. 3 in Changsha, China.

Iran was picked as the top choice for its intact lineup, China second for its homecourt advantage, Korea third for its depth and consistency and Gilas Pilipinas fourth with its solid showing in the Jones Cup.

FIBA.COM  ranked the teams based on player rosters and preparations for the biennial event which, this time, doubles as the regional qualifier for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

The website of the international cage body is aware of a possible stint of Fil-Am NBA guard Jordan Clarkson with Gilas Pilipinas.

“Despite half of the team that played in the 2014 FIBA World Cup missing, the Philippines got a big boost this past week with the possibility of Clarkson suiting up,” the FIBA.COM  report said.

“Their trip to Estonia yielded a lot of learnings, and they have racked up some impressive wins in the 2015 Jones Cup. Momentum seems to have swung and things are improving for Gilas Pilipinas,” the report also stated.

Making the Top Eight in the FIBA.COM ranking are Chinese Taipei, Kazakhstan, Lebanon and Japan. Then came Jordan, Qatar, Palestine, India, Kuwait, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia.

“Team Melli (Iran) is expected to be very strong again with the same old faces doing the same amount of damage to their foes,” the FIBA.COM  report said.

On China, the portal said: China has been training since March, and the injuries might be taking a toll. As of now, start player Yi Jianlian is still resting and has not yet rejoined the team. Still, this team maybe has the biggest size in the field and they have homecourt advantage throughout the entire tournament.”