Chemistry is Yeng’s goal

MANILA, Philippines — With a 20-man pool from which to pick 12 players for two games in the fifth window of the FIBA Asia/Pacific World Cup qualifiers, national coach Yeng Guiao is mixing and matching combinations at practice to determine the right chemistry in the final lineup. He has the option of choosing different casts for the games against Kazakhstan on Nov. 30 and Iran on Dec. 3, both at the MOA Arena, but the players may only come from the 20-man pool. The other restriction is the final roster may include either Christian Standhardinger or Stanley Pringle, not together, as the SBP is still appealing to FIBA to change their citizenship status from naturalized to local Filipino by virtue of heritage.

In two exhibition games against Jordan last Monday and Wednesday, Guiao deployed 12 players for the first outing and 13 for the second. Suiting up in the opener were Standhardinger, Marcio Lassiter, Jayson Castro, Beau Belga, Matthew Wright, JuneMar Fajardo, Alex Cabagnot, Arwind Santos, Poy Erram, Troy Rosario, Ricci Rivero and Gabe Norwood. Sit-outs were Paul Lee, Ian Sangalang, Japeth Aguilar, Greg Slaughter, Scottie Thompson, L. A. Tenorio, Kai Sotto and Pringle. Those who saw action in the second game were Standhardinger, Lassiter, Belga, Wright, Fajardo, Cabagnot, Santos, Norwood, Aguilar, Slaughter, Thompson, Tenorio and Pringle. Playing in both games were Standhardinger, Lassiter, Belga, Wright, Fajardo, Cabagnot, Santos and Norwood.

“No decision yet on our lineups against Kazakhstan and Iran,” said Gilas assistant coach/chief scout and SBP special assistant to the president Ryan Gregorio. “In two games against Jordan, we played flat in the first six quarters then in the third period of the second game, we came out with energy and enthusiasm, fired up by coach Yeng’s halftime talk. Guys are adjusting to new roles and playing together. Arwind is slowly embracing his role as a three-man. Marcio played a key role in our comeback from 19 down to go up by 10 in the second game against Jordan and has been consistent on the firing end. One of the Jordan assistant coaches told me it’s the first time he’s seen a Philippine team with tall Filipinos, that we’ve always had the heart but now we’ve got the height.”

Gregorio said adjusting to FIBA’s physicality is an immediate priority. “FIBA allows a certain degree of physicality, different from what is permitted in the PBA,” he said. “It’s nothing personal but it’s just the way the game is played in FIBA. We’re learning how to play that style and it showed when we played tougher to score 38 points in that third quarter against Jordan. You saw cohesion, fluidity and rhythm. It’s too bad Jordan walked out with us on top, 82-73 and 6:26 left in the game.”

Gregorio said there was no cause for the walkout. “The referees were in control,” he said. “Jordan’s American coach Joey Stiebing is only five weeks on the job and told coach Yeng to stop talking to his players or else he’ll take his ass. Coach Yeng exercised maximum restraint the whole game but when Stiebing confronted him, he went over the line. When Stiebing realized what he told coach Yeng, he pulled out his team. Personally, I thought it was an overreaction and the game could’ve gone on. A Jordan player had just thrown the ball at Scottie and there was hard contact on Christian earlier in the game. Despite all the rough stuff, we stood our ground. Sure, coach Yeng talked to some of the Jordan players, something like that always goes on during a game. I thought Jordan disrespected us and that was surprising because it was Jordan that asked to play here so they could practice with PBA players and our national team.”

Gregorio said he expects no FIBA sanctions as a result of the walk-out. “It was never going to escalate,” he said. “The battle was between two coaches. No players were involved.” 

Stiebing, 57, was recently hired to replace Jordan coach Sam Daghles who resigned after losing the last two FIBA qualifying games to South Korea, 86-75 and China, 88-79. In one of his first moves, Stiebing, who was Qatar national coach from 2003 to 2007, brought in 6-foot NBA veteran Justin Dentmon to take over from Dar Tucker as Jordan’s naturalized player. Dentmon, 33, played eight games for San Antonio, Toronto and Dallas in separate 10-day contracts in two NBA seasons. He shot 11 points in Jordan’s 98-92 win in the first exhibition with Gilas last Monday.

Gregorio said SBP president Al Panlilio constantly reminds the Gilas players that the national team is still under probation by FIBA stemming from the Australia incident. “We’re conscious of the fact,” he said. “I think teams are testing our reaction to FIBA’s physicality. It’s all part of the FIBA game and the sooner we get used to it, the better.”