Loss to Kiwis exposes—again—need for longer preparation for Nationals to bond, get to know each other’s games to have a chance against regional heavyweights

Thirdy Ravena and Gilas Pilipinas vs New Zealand in the Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers. FIBA PHOTO

Gilas Pilipinas was itching to range itself against New Zealand—a nation ranked six notches higher in Fiba’s global ladder raring to assert itself in the region.

What the Filipinos got on Sunday night at Smart Araneta Coliseum in the final game of the Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers was an 88-63 beating that told of all the work that needs to be done for Team PH to avoid failing to contend against powerhouses.

National coach Chot Reyes was quick to say that the loss was still a moral victory, but he was also swift in hammering home the notion that this is a national cage program trying to make the most out of an untimely reboot.

“Obviously, after a game, especially after a loss, we always feel we could’ve done a little bit better,” he said. “Preparation certainly [was] very, very crucial.

“[W]e still have a lot of things that we have to work on. The players are not yet familiar with each other,” he went on. “[For] me, this also is my first time to coach Thirdy [Ravena], Dwight [Ramos], Ange [Kouame] and several other players in the team.”

Sure, the short lead-up to the games was a culprit in the Nationals’ disjointed play. But there was also no denying that the supporting cast was hardly any help when they should have stepped up against the Tall Blacks.

Ravena finished with 23 points, Ramos with 18 to highlight yet another well-rounded performance. Robert Bolick pumped in 18 more, but no other member of the team scored more than five points in the loss.

The Filipinos kept the Kiwis within striking range for most of the first half, even narrowing the gap to just seven early in the third period. However, frosty shooting, sorry errors and the team’s inability to crash the boards doomed Gilas’ chances at righting the ship—eventually snuffing any likelihood of a comeback.

It was truly a forgettable outing, considering Gilas’ last Fiba game where the Philippines lost by only seven points to World No. 5 Serbia during the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade last year—a stark contrast from this double-digit blowout at the hands of a New Zealand squad that hasn’t played internationally in two years.

Looking for Tab

It also didn’t help that fans inside the Big Dome were expressing their disappointment.

Chants of “We want [Tab] Baldwin!” and “Get Baldwin back!” filled the arena as some spectators headed for the exits with still over three minutes remaining in the game.

That should explain why Reyes is also eager to put the loss behind him. The national cage program has several tournaments lined up in the coming months, on the way to the Philippines’ cohosting of the Basketball World Cup.

And those are shaping up as great windows for Gilas to smoothen holes in its play and shoot for redemption.

“We have to meet with the [Philippine Basketball Association’s leadership] to synchronize our calendars. We’re now looking at the Southeast Asian Games [in Vietnam],” said Reyes.

“I don’t think we will have [collegiate] players at our disposal, so that’s another thing to take into consideration—who’s going to be available,” he added.

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas has since said that it intends to be less dependent on talents from the pro ranks, but assures that it is hard at work in reacquiring the commitment of several players.

But that remains to be seen, with Reyes even admitting that nothing has been cast in stone.

“We have yet to sit down and actually craft the plans,” he said.

If anything, Reyes remains steadfast in the belief that the national cage program regains its bearings as its drive for development plods along. He has, after all, some great pillars to build on from here on out.

“Not only for their statistics, for their points, but … their work ethic, the energy they bring to practices. That’s everything important for leaders,” Reyes said of Ramos and Ravena, whom he said were being groomed as the leaders of the National Five.

“I think we will only get better as time goes by. Certainly a lot of bright spots but a lot of things to build on. We just have to put in the work,” he added. INQ