THE recent Dubai stint of the RP-Smart Gilas team is just the start of what will be a hectic schedule this year for the Asian Games bound national squad.
Returning from the oil-rich emirate two days ago where they placed third in the tough 21st Dubai International basketball tournament, the Nationals are going to take just a month's breather before plunging back into action by March when they travel to Australia to play a series of games with teams from the National Basketball League (NBL).
From Down Under, Serbia will be the Nationals next stop where they are scheduled to play some of the local club teams in an attempt to benchmark the squad's development exactly a year after traveling to the same European country for a series of tune up games as well.
By April, the team is off to the U.S. in Las Vegas and Canada in Vancouver to play the Canadian national team in a couple of exhibition games, followed by its campaign in the FIBA-Asia Champions Cup in Doha, Qatar in May.
The Nationals will be back in Manila on June, where arrangements to play the national teams of Iran, New Zealand and either Korea or Japan will be made, before capping their preparation for the Asiad by participating in the annual Jones Cup in Taipei (July), the Stankovic Cup in Lebanon (August) and back to the U.S to battle a select team from the NCAA.
Come November, the RP team is off for the Asiad in Guangzhou, China.
"This is definitely a hectic year for the Smart-Gilas team. In all, we expect to play around 80 international games," bared Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) executive director Noli Eala in the PSA Forum Tuesday at the Shakey's U.N. Avenue branch.
"All of these trips are fantastic exposures for our national team."
Handled by Serbian coach Rajko Toroman and headed by team captain Chris Tiu, both of whom also appeared in the session presented by Outlast Battery, PAGCOR, Accel and Shakey's, the RP squad however, would be competing without the benefit of American reinforcement Jamal Sampson, who may be on his way out with the team following a lackluster showing in the Dubai meet.
Toroman himself expressed disappointment with the way the injury-prone American, cousin of former Houston Rockets star Ralph Sampson, played with the team, stressing what the Smart-Gilas squad needs is a "guy who would play with passion, a guy who would play with intensity and someone who wants to play."
Eala added he was to meet with Sampson and national team manager Frankie Lim late yesterday to discuss the fate of the American.
"There's no doubt, Jamal has all the skills we need for a big man, someone who can get rebounds and defend against the big guys from the other teams.
But in fairness to Jamal, he already talked with me about his place in the team. And I think it would be mutually beneficial for everyone where we can all move forward," Eala said.
The SBP official admitted no other prospects are being eyed to take the place of the 6-foot-11 Sampson, although Tiu added the team is just a good big guy away from being at par with the best of Asia.
"We still need to beef up our big guys. Definitely we need a strong force in the middle to get rebounds and wreck havoc at the defensive end.
"But despite falling short in the end (of the Dubai tournament), the result was very fulfilling because we were able to prove that we can compete with the best in Asia," said the RP team captain.
Showing posts with label Gilas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gilas. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
PBA RENDERS GILAS GAMES NO BEARING
Philippine Basketball Association commissioner Sonny Barrios wrote the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas yesterday regarding the participation of the Smart Gilas National Team in the ongoing 2009-10 KFC-PBA Philippine Cup.
Barrios said the Board directed him to choose only between two options: 1) for Smart Gilas games to have no bearing even on PBA teams, and 2) for Smart Gilas not to play CJ Giles in any of its remaining games that will have a bearing on the PBA teams.
Since the main objective of Smart Gilas participation as guest team is to help the Nationals prepare for upcoming international tournament, Barrios leaned toward rendering the games of Smart Gilas no bearing instead of barring Giles from playing.
“We recognize that CJ Giles is a very vital part of the national team, the reason why he is considered as a candidate for naturalization for Filipino citizen.
“He is seen as the “good big man” the country sorely lacks to be able to compete with the powerhouse teams in Asia today. It will not help the team’s cause any if Giles is not allowed to play with the team,” Barrios explained.
In his letter to Noli Eala, executive director of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, Barrios said the decision is deemed to well serve the purpose of the Smart Gilas, seeing action in the league as guest team.
“We are convinced that it is in everyone’s best interest if both teams go into the game with the same mindset that the game has no bearing. Both Smart Gilas and the PBA opposing team, and their players, will thus be on equal footing as far as their outlook and approach of the game are concerned,” Barrios said.
That means the result of games payaed by Burger King, Talk N’ Text and Barangay Ginebra against Smart Gilas prior to the passing of the new directive are considered nullified and will not reflect in their win-loss record.
Apparently, the decision to bench CJ Giles for most part of the game between Smart Gilas and Talk N’ Text last October 21, 2009 prompted PBA Board of Governors to revisit their earlier commitment with SBP and eventually supersede it with the new directive. Talk N’ Text won that game by a blowout, 103-70.
The present situation where the results count only for PBA teams has, apparently, also become a cause for concern for PBA coach and players alike.
“Some players have pointed out that the different treatment almost always means a difference in the level of intensity that may give rise to physical play and unwanted incidents,” Barrios said.
Barrios also took into account the observation of Barangay Guinebra coach Jong Uichico, himself a former national mentor.
Following Ginebra’s 100-72 win against Smart Gilas, Uichico was quoted in the papers as saying: “It is unfortunate that the PBA teams play the National Team always looking to win.”
The coach of the 2002 Busan Games RP Team added that “the best way to help the RP team is to take away the “we have to win attitude” and give the PBA teams the opportunity to simulate the patterns of the clubs that RP Team will be facing in international tournaments.”
Barrios dispeled concerns by the SBP that the PBA teams would not take the games seriously now that its has no bearing.
“Just like that you assured us Smart Gilas will be prepared to play every game competitively and passionately, we also guarantee that that our PBA teams will give the national teams the competition they need to toughen up for the bigger hardcourt wars ahead.”
Barrios said the Board directed him to choose only between two options: 1) for Smart Gilas games to have no bearing even on PBA teams, and 2) for Smart Gilas not to play CJ Giles in any of its remaining games that will have a bearing on the PBA teams.
Since the main objective of Smart Gilas participation as guest team is to help the Nationals prepare for upcoming international tournament, Barrios leaned toward rendering the games of Smart Gilas no bearing instead of barring Giles from playing.
“We recognize that CJ Giles is a very vital part of the national team, the reason why he is considered as a candidate for naturalization for Filipino citizen.
“He is seen as the “good big man” the country sorely lacks to be able to compete with the powerhouse teams in Asia today. It will not help the team’s cause any if Giles is not allowed to play with the team,” Barrios explained.
In his letter to Noli Eala, executive director of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, Barrios said the decision is deemed to well serve the purpose of the Smart Gilas, seeing action in the league as guest team.
“We are convinced that it is in everyone’s best interest if both teams go into the game with the same mindset that the game has no bearing. Both Smart Gilas and the PBA opposing team, and their players, will thus be on equal footing as far as their outlook and approach of the game are concerned,” Barrios said.
That means the result of games payaed by Burger King, Talk N’ Text and Barangay Ginebra against Smart Gilas prior to the passing of the new directive are considered nullified and will not reflect in their win-loss record.
Apparently, the decision to bench CJ Giles for most part of the game between Smart Gilas and Talk N’ Text last October 21, 2009 prompted PBA Board of Governors to revisit their earlier commitment with SBP and eventually supersede it with the new directive. Talk N’ Text won that game by a blowout, 103-70.
The present situation where the results count only for PBA teams has, apparently, also become a cause for concern for PBA coach and players alike.
“Some players have pointed out that the different treatment almost always means a difference in the level of intensity that may give rise to physical play and unwanted incidents,” Barrios said.
Barrios also took into account the observation of Barangay Guinebra coach Jong Uichico, himself a former national mentor.
Following Ginebra’s 100-72 win against Smart Gilas, Uichico was quoted in the papers as saying: “It is unfortunate that the PBA teams play the National Team always looking to win.”
The coach of the 2002 Busan Games RP Team added that “the best way to help the RP team is to take away the “we have to win attitude” and give the PBA teams the opportunity to simulate the patterns of the clubs that RP Team will be facing in international tournaments.”
Barrios dispeled concerns by the SBP that the PBA teams would not take the games seriously now that its has no bearing.
“Just like that you assured us Smart Gilas will be prepared to play every game competitively and passionately, we also guarantee that that our PBA teams will give the national teams the competition they need to toughen up for the bigger hardcourt wars ahead.”
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