THE plan is simple. Against all odds, Gilas Pilipinas should bring its A-Game and make sure not to fall victim to complacency.
“It’s challenging because when things are going well and we let up a bit, we lose momentum, and it shifts to the other team,” National coach Chot Reyes said. “We can’t just switch on and off that seriousness.
“Even if we give our best, it might not be enough, but for sure, if we don’t give our best, we have no chance,” he added.
The Philippine five buckled down to work anew in a closed-door practice last Wednesday night with NBA standout Jordan Clarkson of the Utah Jazz and center Kai Sotto joining the team.
With Clarkson, a former Sixth Man of the Year awardee, and Sotto now practicing, only reigning PBA MVP Scottie Thompson has yet to rejoin the national team training pool due to a fractured right hand.
“So, let’s give ourselves a chance,” Reyes said. “Let’s go out there and play our best because if we’re not at our best, we won’t stand a chance against these opponents.”
Despite missing the likes of Clarkson, Sotto, and Thompson in the China pocket tilt, Gilas wound up with a 3-1 mark in a development seen as a big boost to its preparations for the prestigious world cage spectacle the country is co-hosting with Japan and Indonesia from Aug. 25 to Sept. 10.
Gilas trounced Iran 76-65 last Thursday but lost 64-72 to Senegal last Friday. The Filipinos got back at the Senegalese 75-63 five days ago and repeated over the Iranians with a 63-48 triumph last Monday night.
Foremost among those who stepped up for Gilas was 6-foot-10 AJ Edu but that hardly surprised Reyes.
“With AJ, we’ve always known what he can bring to the team. It’s just that not a lot of other Filipinos know it, they’re not really familiar with him,” Reyes said of Edu, a Fil-Nigerian Edu who is proving his worth for the seniors’ side. “But we’ve had him in the program since he was in the Under-18 team.
“The way he played was exactly what we knew he could contribute to the team–his defense and his ability to do a lot of other things. If he makes his three-point shots, that’s a huge bonus for us. But he’s always been able to make that shot.”
A pair of tune-up matches against Mexico and Montenegro are also in the offing for Gilas before the World Cup where it will do battle with the Dominican Republic, Italy, and Angola in Group A.
The squad needs to finish at least in the top two at the end of the group stage to advance to the next round and fan its hopes of becoming the best placed Asian squad to directly qualify for the Paris Olympics next year.
