2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup news and updates

[Zurca]

Naturalization for NBA vets McGee, Blatche sought to boost Gilas

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Juan Edgardo Angara filed bills seeking the naturalization of NBA players Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee, who are being considered as reinforcements for the Philippines' national men's basketball team, on Thursday, February 6.

Angara, who chairs the Senate committee on games, amusement, and sports, said the country's "recent modest ascent" in the FIBA standings "ought to be sustained."

Clearing the way for Blatche and McGee to play for the Philippine team is a step toward sustaining this "development of Philippine basketball in the international scene," he said in the introduction of his bills.

Both Blatche and McGee would be considered as reinforcements for Gilas Pilipinas, the Philippines' national men's basketball team, ahead of the squad's upcoming stint in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain.

McGee, 26, who is playing for the Denver Nuggets, was a former Washington Wizards teammate of Batche. He pitched to Blatche the idea of coming to the Philippines and helping out the nationals.

“I said I’m interested, so there’s a good chance of it happening,” Blatche, 27, who currently plays for the Brooklyn Nets, said in an ESPN report about the possibility of playing for Gilas .

When naturalized, McGee and Blatche will have to give up their US citizenship and will become full Filipino citizens.

Both are NBA big men who can provide much-needed height and depth for Gilas in the center position.

The 7-foot McGee was selected 18th overall by the Washington Wizards in the 2008 NBA Draft, while the 6-foot-11 Blatche is a power forward and center with career averages of 9.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.

With the current 12-man Gilas roster, naturalized player Marcus Douthit and 24-year-old June Mar Fajardo are the ones manning the paint.

Douthit, 33, was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA before being naturalized in 2010. He helped lead the nationals to winning the 2010 Philippine Invitational Cup and the 2012 William Jones Cup. He also played a key role in the Philippines' silver-medal finish in the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship to qualify for this year's World Cup.

This is not the first time that the Philippines has sought enforcements for the national team through naturalized players.

In 1985, the Philippines won the William Jones Cup and the ABC Championships (now the FIBA Asia Championship) with the help of 3 naturalized players: Dennis Still, Jeff Moore, and Chip Engelland.

Other naturalized athletes have also played under the Philippine flag in other sports. They include 14th and 15th SEA Games gold medalist for swimming Akiko Thomson and SEA games medalist and swimming champion Christine Jacob-Sandejas.

From Rappler.com

[bigstick]

Meet Gilas’ prelims opponents in the 2014 FIBA World Cup: Croatia

By Noel Zarate

Croatia's players celebrate during EuroBasket 2013 last September.

With the release of the schedule of the upcoming group stages of the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Spain, Gilas Pilipinas will attempt to crash into the second round in what many experts believe to be the second most difficult group in the tournament.

I, like a handful of others, would have preferred that the Philippines landed in Group C (USA, Turkey, Dominican Republic, New Zealand, Finland and Ukraine) or even Group D (Slovenia, Lithuania, Angola, Mexico and Australia—Korea was the FIBA Asia zone qualifier that was drawn here). But Dino Radja’s hand pulled out the miniature FIBA ball that contained the name of the Philippines when FIBA Sports Director Lubomir Kotleba asked for which team in Pot 3 will be placed in Group B and so we’re stuck with Argentina, Croatia, Puerto Rico, Senegal and Greece.

The Philippines needs to win at least twice in the group stages to advance to the second round. While being placed in this group may have made that task a little bit more exigent, there still could be a chance that coach Chot Reyes may be able to orchestrate an uprising by the boys and pull the rug from under at least two of the favored nations.

This series is dedicated to breaking down (in almost minute detail) the would-be opponents of the Filipinos and attempt to find a weakness in the opposition—if any.

Here’s the official Philippine schedule, all games to be held at the Palacio Municipal de Deportes San Pablo in Sevilla:

August 30—Croatia (Eurobasket, 4th place)

August 31—Greece (Wild Card-Eurobasket 11th place)

September 1—Argentina (FIBA Americas, 3rd place)

September 2—Rest Day

September 3—Puerto Rico (FIBA Americas, 2nd place)

September 4—Senegal (FIBA Africa, 3rd place)

 

The results of the group stages will determine if Gilas will be playing in the second round—which begins on September 6th—against another qualifier from Group A in what will later be called Group E.

Let’s check out the opposition starting with Croatia.

August 30—PHI vs. CRO

Right off the bat, the boys face a tough opponent.

This is a proud basketball nation since its split with Yugoslavia decades ago. Croatia was actually the Dream Team’s opponent in the gold medal match of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics thanks primarily to Vlade Divac and the firepower of Peja Danilovic.

Over the years, the Croats have evolved to be one of the powerhouses of European basketball and their present roster boasts of a number of quality players in Ante Tomic, 26, of the powerhouse FC Barcelona squad in ACB Liga Endesa as well as Bojan Bogdanovic, 24, and Luka Zoric, 28, who have also been tearing it up in their years in the European circuit.


Croatia's Bojan Bogdanovic and Dontaye Draper at a EuroBasket 2013 game last September.

Their naturalized player is American point guard Dontaye Draper from Charleston. Draper is barely six feet tall but has the luxury of being the third string playmaker on the squad of reigning Spanish champs Real Madrid Baloncesto (RMB). He played behind the “Sergios” in RMB (Rodriguez and Llull) and pretty much picked up a number of tricks and skills from arguably two of Europe’s best point guards today. I’ve had the opportunity to broadcast some of his exploits in the past. He’s crafty, quick and has a deadly mid-range pull-up. He also drops a lot of dimes in the post and it’s also a great advantage for the Croats that Tomic (formerly of RMB) is their starting pivot as Draper is known to have him as his favorite alley-oop target (OK, maybe behind Rudy Fernandez at RMB).

Draper isn’t that utilized in RMB, hence he has not really been susceptible to any injuries and is not spent. He gained his citizenship papers in July, 2011.

But even in the Croatian squad Draper still plays back-up (albeit gets more minutes). Their starting point guard is 6’5” Roro Ukic (who is Vassilis Spanoulis’ back-up at Pannathinaikos in the Euroleague). Ukic, 28, is a deliberate playmaker with a solid set shot from behind the arc. His lack of speed is compensated by Draper’s entry, hence the American actually plays more.


National mentor Jasmin Repesa has coached this squad to three Eurobasket quarterfinals and one semis appearance since he earned the job in 2005 but was replaced by former player Josip Vrankovic in 2010. However, when Vrankovic gave Croatia its worst finish in their Eurobasket history (thirteenth in 2011) the federation rehired Repesa, compelling him to drop his ACB Liga Endesa post as the coach of Unicaja Malaga and take his act to the professional ranks in Croatia (KK Cedevita) just to keep his attention on the national team.


Croatia's head coach Jasmin Repesa is pretty old-school.

Repesa is as old school as coaches can get. He berates his players unabashedly and has been known to bench even the team’s star if he misses a defensive assignment or even just takes a shot out of the offensive pattern’s flow. Let’s just say Unicaja found him to be an acquired taste. But now that’s back at the helm of one of Europe’s most up-and-coming basketball nations, he can concentrate on Croatia’s very realistic quest at advancing to the semis of this year’s FIBA World Cup.

That being said, the Philippines will be hard pressed to match the height and extremely high basketball IQ of this team on a mission.

Tomic is 7’2” and moves like a power forward; hence all the lobs to him for easy dunks. He was third in rebounding during the 2013 Eurobasket (7.2 RPG) and finished just a shade under Spain’s Marc Gasol and carom king Axel Hervelle of Belgium. Like Tomic, Zoric does not look to be 6’11” because of his quickness and amazing footwork. He’s got a good nose for the ball and is very slippery in the post. Zoric has a deadly step back fall-away from the baseline and isn’t shy about mixing it up inside. He suited up for Repeza at Unicaja for the two years Repesa was away from Croatian basketball and was one of the major catalysts in Malaga’s playoff run last season.

The young Bogdanovic (a 6’8” small forward) is the player that might just inflict the most damage due to his unpredictability. He’s the only one on the squad that has actual NBA experience having suited up for the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2011-12 season. After stints in the NBA and in Spain (where I actually got to cover some of his games) he returned to the Croatian pro circuit and is hailed as among the best cagers in the country.


However, his temperament did not blend well when Repeza returned to coach the national team and in 2012, Bogdanovic was kicked out of the team due to alleged “chemistry issues”. But in 2013, he and Repeza decided to bury the hatchet and he turned out to be Eurobasket’s third leading scorer, averaging 17.7 PPG (behind Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Mirza Teletovic and France’s Tony Parker—both legitimate NBA players).

He has a quick release jumpshot and is more adept at shooting off the dribble, which also makes him a serious assist threat (and a Teletovic clone). Bogdanovic has a tendency to hog the ball a lot and hence no player from Croatia made it to the top five in assists during last year’s Eurobasket. He’s the team’s volume shooter as Tomic and Zoric get most of their points from put backs off of his misses. So if Croatia has a marked man, Bogdanovic is it.

There’s also Krunoslav Simon, a 6’6” two-guard who basically shoots a lot of threes but brings a lot of defense against the opposing shooters and penetrators. He’s not ashamed to take a charge and collected quite a few of them when he played last season for Unicaja Malaga—yes, under Repeza.

THE ANALYSIS:

Firstly, Draper has a tendency of getting into foul trouble guarding quicker and smaller guards. He was among the top five in steals during last year’s Eurobasket (1.1 SPG) because he was getting thefts from bigger and slower opposition. Watching him in ACB Liga Endesa (there was a time when Sergio Llull missed a stretch of games and he became Sergio Rodriguez’s chief back-up) , he picked up quick and cheap fouls ball hawking against Caja Laboral’s Thomas Heurtel and Unicaja Malaga’s Jayson Granger; two small guards who have a lot of quickness.


Against the quickness of Jayson Castro, LA Tenorio or even Jimmy Alapag, Draper may be strapped with fouls and Repeza will be forced to use the slower Ukic more, which could lead to a number of thefts by the Gilas backcourt leading to unmolested fastbreaks.

Secondly, Tomic also has a penchant for using his hands on defense more than necessary. Despite starting for FC Barcelona (and even before in his days with RMB), Tomic gets into early foul trouble and his squad has to go to a “center by committee” strategy. He usually has an issue with bigs who out-position and out-jump him. Tomic isn't that wide (he's quite skinny) and needs his appendage advantage to get the job done. Marcus Douthit (assuming he'll still be around) is excellent at sealing off would-be rebounders because of his knack for getting into position quickly. Japeth Aguilar can out jump some of the European bigs—Tomic may be one of them. This combination of innate talents that the Gilas frontline possesses may just cause enough damage for Tomic to be cancelled out of the equation by sitting on the bench during the match strapped with fouls.

Zoric (who sometimes subs for Tomic, although I've seen them on the court together on occasion) is a minutes monster, though. He hardly gets into foul trouble and is crafty enough to work around box outs. But if Tomic’s length is eliminated, Gilas will now only have to concentrate on Zoric and the back-ups to battle for the boards. Difficult but plausible.

As for Bogdanovic, the unenviable task of being his shadow will have to fall on Gabe Norwood.


Can Gabe Norwood lockdown Bojan Bogdanovic like he did Jarvis Hayes?

Qatar reinforcement Jarvis Hayes (6’7”) told me after the Philippines won against his squad—and he was limited to a tournament low thirteen points—that had never been played that way since he was in college, which was the ultimate tribute to Norwood’s stifling defense. Also remember that Bogdanovic has a short fuse and could become emotional if he is not given space to create his shot. Norwood is the best small forward defender on the team—unless coach Chot adds someone like Arwind Santos or a pesky Calvin Abueva on the squad. Others can pick up Norwood’s offense, but his lockdown abilities will be much needed if Gilas intends to pull off an opening day upset.


Croatia will be Gilas’ gauge on how to proceed in the prelims. And while the speed and quickness edge may belong to the Filipinos—perhaps even against all their groupmates—you’ll still need to get the ball to execute the offense and the rebounding edge definitely belongs to the Croats, unless the Filipinos pilfer a lot to compensate.

Gilas will need to play their “A” game against Croatia, and we’re only on the Philippines’ first game.

[Zurca]

FIBA - A glance at Spain 2014's Group D

BARCELONA - Australia national team veteran Brad Newley kept his fingers crossed for several months, hoping that he and the Boomers would play their 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup Preliminary Round games in Gran Canaria.

That would allow Newley to represent his country in front of the same fans that cheer for him on a weekly basis as a forward with Herbalife Gran Canaria in the Spanish Liga Endesa.

On Monday in Barcelona, his wish was granted.

The Aussies ended up in Group D with Slovenia, Lithuania, Angola, Korea and Mexico, with the games to be played on the Canary Island.

It's not unrealistic for the men from Down Under to believe that another wish may be realized this summer, that a first-ever podium finish at a major basketball event can be theirs.

The country has had some feisty, talented teams, especially in a six-year stretch from 1994 to 2000 when the likes of Andrew Gaze, Shane Heal, Mark Bradtke, Andrew Vlahov, Sam MacKinnon, Chris Anstey and Luc Longley donned the Australia shirt.

The team finished fifth at the 1994 FIBA World Championship, fourth at the 1996 Olympics, ninth at the '98 FIBA World Championship and fourth at the 2000 Olympics.

There have been some notable stumbling blocks for the Australians since.

One was Oceania rivals New Zealand, who beat Australia to the lone qualifying spot for the 2002 FIBA World Championship.

The biggest hurdle to clear has been the United States, the side to beat Australia in knockout games at the 2006 FIBA World Championship, and at both the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.

Following Monday's draw, the prospect of facing New Zealand and the United States in the Eighth-Finals - the first game after the Preliminary Round - exists as both national teams are in Group C.

With the United States big favorites in the group and the team most people expect to win the world title, a first place finish for the Americans would throw them into a a cross-over game against the fourth-place team from Group D.

"We have to finish in the top three of our pool," Lemanis said to FIBA.com at Monday's draw in Barcelona, after being asked about a possible clash with the United States in the last 16.

"You would suggest that they'll be the top team in Group C, so in order to avoid them we have to do that.

"But that's something we can't get too caught up in, the cross-overs. We've got to take care of business in our pool play at first.

"You've got to take one game at a time, get ready for our first opponents and take it from there."

The Australians should have a very good team at the World Cup with Olympic stars Pat Mills and Joe Ingles leading the way. Cleveland Cavaliers guard Matt Dellavedova and San Antonio Spurs center Aron Baynes will have NBA experience under their belt and there is the prospect of having one of the most exciting young talents in international basketball, Dante Exum, too.

The 18-year-old was an all-tournament selection at the 2013 FIBA U19 World Championship.

A 1.98m guard, Exum has declared for the draft but he and his family have made it clear that he wants to be able to play at the World Cup.

Exum's father, Cecil, played for Naismith Hall of Fame and FIBA Hall of Fame coach Dean Smith at the University of North Carolina in the 1980s before moving to Australia and competing professionally in the country.

The Aussies won't have an easy path to the Eighth-Finals because the team that blew them out in the last 16 at the 2010 FIBA World Championship, a Goran Dragic-led Slovenia, 2013 FIBA Americas Championship winners Mexico, African powerhouse Angola, European heavyweights Lithuania and Korea will be formidable opponents.

Dragic has taken his game to new heights as the top player in the Phoenix Suns' line-up and now that Slovenian legend Jure Zdovc is back at the helm, the national side has plenty of cause to be optimistic.

Lithuania are always dangerous, as they showed in 2010 when they played as a wild card and finished third. Last summer, the Baltic nation reached the Final of the EuroBasket 2013 in Slovenia before falling to France.

Here's a brief look at each team.

Lithuania (FIBA Ranking Men: No. 4)
The Baltic nation lives and breathes basketball. It has competed at every Olympics since the Barcelona Games, after the country declared its independence from the Soviet Union. Players come and go, but an unrivaled passion for the sport and competition remains for the fans, and the players - although the star player of the team since 2010, Linas Kleiza, has thrown open the possibility that he may want to take a break from the side. Lithuania need their young players to start leading, and especially 2011 FIBA U19 World Championship MVP Jonas Valanciunas. The Toronto Raptors center has played for the senior team the past three summers and been in some real battles, both at EuroBaskets 2011 and 2013, and the 2012 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament and London Games. The 2.10m Valanciunas averaged 6.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.36 blocks at the EuroBasket in Slovenia. The 2.13m center Donatas Motiejunas, who has the ability to get out on the fast break and also nail three-pointers, played for the senior team last summer and could have an increased role. Mantas Kalnietis, a combo guard who has done well as Lithuania's playmaker since being made the starter in 2010 by former coach Kestutis Kemzura, as well as Jonas Maciulis and Renaldas Seibutis, will have import roles.

Australia (FIBA Ranking Men: No. 9)
The Australians made a good impression at the London Games, despite going out of the tournament in the last eight at the hands of the United States. Pat Mills averaged more than 21ppg and Joe Ingles excelled at 15ppg. Though the possibility exists of Golden State Warriors center Andrew Bogut suiting up for the first time for Australia since the 2008 Olympics, only he knows how strong it is. When asked if Bogut, who has averaged almost 30 minutes per game in his last 10 with Golden State, was ruled out for the World Cup, Lemanis told FIBA.com: "No, there is always a possibility. Andrew has been great in his communication in saying that absolutely he still wants to play with Australia. The reality is that he's had an horrific run of injuries and he needs to be confident that he can get through an NBA season, then play internationally and then get through another NBA season. So he's got to have great confidence in his body to be able to do that."

Slovenia (FIBA Ranking Men: No. 13)
Slovenia are all things Goran Dragic right now. The NBA point guard should have made the Western Conference All-Star team in the opinion of many because due largely to his play under new coach Jeff Hornecek, the Phoenix Suns are in the play-off hunt. Dragic is averaging 20 points and more than six assists for the Suns, who have won 29 of their 49 games. Two other factors are extremely important for Slovenia. The return of Jure Zdovc as coach gives the squad a leader who has won the world title before as a player with the former Yugoslavia. Zdovc also excelled in the coaching role in 2009, when leading Slovenia to a best-ever fourth-place finish. The doubts about Gasper Vidmar, who just tore his ACL and damaged his meniscus while playing for Fenerbahce Ulker, places more importance on Barcelona big man Erazem Lorbek being with the team. Lorbek had to take 2013 off while recovering from a grueling 2013-14 campaign which saw him compete in the Euroleague, Copa del Rey and Spanish Liga Endesa.

Angola (FIBA Ranking Men: No. 15)
The kings of Africa are back! After finishing runners-up at AfroBasket 2013 to Tunisia and having their streak of Olympic appearances snapped at five, Angola went unbeaten last summer in Cote d'Ivoire to return to the top of the podium. Carlos Morais was sensational and scooped the honor as the tournament MVP. Morais also signed a pre-season contract with the Toronto Raptors but was among the last players to be cut. The team has plenty of experience and more than enough firepower to reach the top four in their Preliminary Round group, as they did in 2006 and '10. If they enjoy a good preparation for the World Cup and show up in Spain with a lot of self-belief, a good tournament run could be theirs.

Mexico (FIBA Ranking Men: No. 24)
While the absence of key players contributed to Brazil's miserable showing at the 2013 FIBA Americas Championship and probably kept Argentina from clinching first place, one can only laud Mexico for their summer in Caracas, Venezuela. The team set out to reach the World Cup, having failed to reach the FIBA World Championship since 1974. They did even better, getting a solid effort from a whole cast of players and an MVP performance from NBA center Gustavo Ayon. The Mexicans won the title. Spanish coach Sergio Valdeomillos made improvements to the defense, utilizing concepts that he learned in Europe. He hopes Mexico will not freeze on the big stage against the likes of Lithuania and Slovenia. "It's an interesting group," he said to FIBA.com, "a group that we can compete in. It's been a long time since Mexico last measured itself against European teams, but considering they are favorites, we want to see how we perform in these situations."

Korea (FIBA Ranking Men: No. 31)
The third-place team at last year's 2013 FIBA Asia Championship probably starts as big underdogs in Group D but no team should underestimate Korea. The squad had some impressive spells of play at the 2012 FIBA Olympic Qualifying tournament in Caracas two summers ago against both Russia and the Dominican Republic and their ability to stretch defenses with three-point shooting can be a real headache for opponents. Without a doubt, the opening game against Angola is a major one for Korea. If they can surprise the African champions, Korea would like their chances of getting another win, with their best chance of doing so probably against Mexico. Korea will recognize the Slovenia shirt because the two countries faced each other at the 2008 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

From FIBA

[Itachi101]

Asar talo ako doon sa article all about croatia
di man lamang nabanggit si Toni Kukoc na
pinaka magaling na croatian player   
   hhahahahah

[Zurca]

ARG/FRA/TUR/BRA - More stars ready to shine at Spain 2014

BARCELONA - The four wild cards for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup have been decided and the draw for the 24-team tournament has taken place.

Now one big-name player after another is committing himself to competing at the event in Spain, which tips off at the end of August.

Argentina, France, Turkey and Brazil have all received a thumbs-up from key personnel in recent days with a view to playing at the World Cup.

Andres Nocioni of Argentina, a 2004 Olympic champion, spoke about playing at the World Cup over the weekend in Malaga, Spain, where he competed in the Copa del Rey with Laboral Kutxa.

"I look forward to being there," Nocioni said.

"I always have the expectation of being in the Argentina team, especially knowing it may be the last World Cup of my career.

"I'm eager to play and to join the group, because the friendship in the team is unusual. I hope we can (all) be together and do well."

Argentina coach Julio Lamas said to FIBA.com at last week's draw that not only is Nocioni going to be play, but that Luis Scola and Pablo Prigioni have confirmed their presence.

Lamas doesn't know, yet, if Manu Ginobili or Carlos Delfino will be in the squad.

The Argentinians are in Group B with Greece, Croatia, Senegal, Puerto Rico and the Philippines.

Nicolas Batum, who is thriving with the Portland Trail Blazers, and San Antonio Spurs forward Boris Diaw have confirmed their presence for France.

Both helped Les Bleus capture their first EuroBasket title last summer in Slovenia and will lead the charge for Les Bleus when they take on tournament hosts Spain, Serbia, Brazil, Iran and Egypt in Group A.

Batum is averaging 12.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.4 assists for the Blazers, who are third in the Western Conference with 36 wins and just 15 defeats.

Denver Nuggets shooting guard Evan Fournier is getting a lot of minutes and has a good chance of being in Spain, and Utah Jazz rookie Rudy Gobert is keeping his fingers crossed that he'll be in the squad.

"I hope to play with France this summer," 21-year-old Gobert said. "I want to earn my place."

A 2.15m center, Gobert has appeared in eight of the Utah Jazz’s last 10 games and averaged almost 15 minutes per game.

Kevin Seraphin of the Washington Wizards is hoping to return after turning down a chance to play for France last summer.

"My goal is to play, I want to go," he said. "Even if I'm going to negotiate my new contract in the off-season, I will do everything I can to go."

Turkey received a wild card and they can count on Houston Rockets center Omer Asik and Milwaukee Bucks forward Ersan Ilyasova to be in Spain for Group C clashes with the USA, New Zealand, Ukraine, Finland and the Dominican Republic.

"The last time I played in the World Cup, it was in Turkey (2010) and we did really good," Asik said.

"The World Cup is always different than the European Championship and I am very excited about it."

The past two EuroBaskets haven't been kind to Turkey.

They came up short of the Quarter-Finals at EuroBasket 2011 and last year, the team failed to advance from the opening round.

"The last two or three European Championships, we couldn't do anything and many people were mad at us," Asik said.

"Now this time we have a chance to improve and play better and make everybody happy like last time we did in the World Cup."

Ilyasova was just a teenager when he played for Turkey at the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan.

That team received a wild card and made it all the way to the Quarter-Finals before falling to Argentina.

"The World Championship is really exciting," Ilyasova said.

"You know, we don't have an easy group, we have the United States.

"But look at the World Championships, the first couple of games. If you get in a rhythm, you can do a lot of good things."

San Antonio Spurs center Tiago Splitter, who expressed a lot of enthusiasm about playing at the World Cup after hearing that his country had received a wild card, said of his team’s Group A opponents: "We are a strong group, but we are talking about a World Cup and you can’t expect anything to come easy.

"We have a strong team that finished fifth at the Olympic Games in London (2012) and can compete for a medal."

From FIBA

[billkulas]

CAGE legend Mon Fernandez on Thursday aired his doubts over the move to tap NBA players Javale McGee and Andray Blatche as future naturalized players for Gilas Pilipinas, saying it is a "wrong approach" that may only prove counter-productive for the country's basketball program.
A member of the Philippine team that reached the world championships in 1974 in Puerto Rico, Fernandez said the chance to play against the globe's best players in the World Cup in Spain in August should be used to hone and develop the current crop of national players.
"Mawawalan lang ng opportunity ang mga kababayan natin dyan (if we tap the two NBA players)," said the four-time PBA MVP. "'Yung experience na ma-gain ng kababayan natin sa mga international tournaments like the world championships, 'yun ang mas importante sa akin!"
“Meron na tayong malalaking players, merun na tayong 6-4 at 6-5 na point guard … 6-7 at 6-8 na forward, tapos mayroon pa tayong June Mar Fajardo at Greg Slaughter.
“Sayang lang pera natin sa dalawang NBA player na 'yun. Ano ba ang purpose nila at mission para kumuha ng NBA player? Will we land in the top two o top three with those players?” Fernandez asked.
Realistically, Fernandez said the Philippines can't hope to beat the world's basketball superpowers even with McGee and Blatche in the lineup.

The national team program, he added, should instead focus on the quest to do well in Asia, with the fund to be allotted for the two NBA players channeled towards the development of future players.

“Ambisyunin na lang natin ang Asia, it’s even hard at it is. Asia pa lang mabigat ng battleground sa akin, 'pag nag-qualify tayo sa world (championships) at Olympics, that’s already a bonus,” Fernandez said
“Si Marcus Douthit lang okay na 'yan. Or after Douthit, okay lang mag-naturalize ng iba … pero sa akin nga, kahit hindi na. Ang ambisyunin lang natin Asia. 'Wag na yung world stage,” added the PBA legend who is now based in the South managing his flourishing ‘Suka ni El Presidente’ business.

“Hindi rin tayo makakuha ng decent placing with two or three NBA players in the pool.”

Fernandez also doubts if Gilas can count on the full commitment of McGee and Blatche, who are playing for the Denver Nuggets and Brooklyn Nets, respectively.

“Definitely, yung commitments ng mga yun questionable na. I suppose they will allow those guys to continue playing in the NBA and play only for the Philippines during international competitions,” he said.
“Magpapakamatay ba yung mga yun para sa atin, sa tingin niyo? Siyempre, baka matakot lang yan na mapilayan dito, mawala pa NBA career nila,” said Fernandez, a member of the PBA's 25 Greatest Players.

“How much are we paying those guys? Personally, I think it’s a wrong approach. Baka magsisi lang tayo dyan in the end.”

Follow the writer on Twitter: @snowbadua

[tonistork]

Matindi ang group ng Gilas. Argentina, Croatia and Greece are all basketball powerhouses tapos nandyan pa ang veteran team at upset concious na Puerto Rico (remember tinalo nila ang US team during the 2004 Athens Olympics, 92-73, the biggest losing margin by a USA team in Olympic basketball) kaya kapit Pilipinas.

[crashtest]

Still, bilog pa rin ang bola & we could be the bigest surprise in our group. sana ma-naturalize na yung mga kinukuha natin before FIBA para may time pa sila makapag-practice kasama ang Gilas.


Sent from my LT26ii using Tapatalk

[Zurca]

Paul Lee, Dillinger, Lassiter beef up Gilas Pilipinas as Reyes bares 17-man pool

MEMBERS of the Gilas Pilipinas team that finished runner-up in last year’s FIBA-Asia Men’s Championship along with three new faces have been named as part of the 16-man pool that comprises the national team for the FIBA-World Cup in Spain and possibly, the Asian Games in Incheon, Korea.

Coach Chot Reyes included in the pool the 12 players who suited up in the qualifier of the world basketball championship held here last August, namely, Jimmy Alapag, LA Tenorio,  Jayson Castro, Larry Fonacier, Jeff Chan, Gabe Norwood, Gary David, Ranidel Ocampo, Marc Pingris, Japeth Aguilar, Junemar Fajardo and naturalized player Marcus Douthit.

Beau Belga and Greg Slaughter, the last two players cut before the FIBA-Asia meet, were also named in the pool along with newcomers Marcio Lassiter, Jared Dillinger, and Paul Lee.

Andre Blatche of the Brooklyn Nets is the other naturalized player in the pool, although his stint in the national team remains pending as he awaits the approval of Congress with regards to his naturalization papers.

From SPIN.ph

[tonistork]

naku sinama pa si Belga. . pero pwede na rin para may pang-gulo.

[Zurca]

No shoo-ins for Gilas, vows Chot Reyes as he expects fierce competition for places to World Cup-bound team

NATIONAL coach Chot Reyes said there will be no shoo-ins to the Gilas Pilipinas team bound for the World Cup and Asian Games, saying he expects nothing less than fierce competition for places among the 17 players he named to his training pool on Friday.

"There is no such thing as a shoo-in for this team," said Reyes, just moments after baring the composition of a deep, talented training pool from where the teams to the World Cup in Spain and the Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea will be picked.

Asked if he expects the original members of the Gilas team that finished runner-up to Iran in the last Fiba-Asia championships to fight tooth and nail to keep their places, Reyes said: "I expect nothing less."

"All the 12 players in the Fiba-Asia team know that. You can call each one of them and they’ll tell you right now that they don’t consider themselves shoo-ins for the team," added the multi-titled coach.

"Being in the original Gilas team is an advantage, but not a guarantee (of a spot)."

The arrival of fresh faces in Paul Lee, Marcio Lassiter, and Jared Dillinger to the pool is expected to trigger a battle for the backcourt and wing positions, putting under threat the spots of players like LA Tenorio, Jason Castro, Jimmy Alapag, Gary David, Larry Fonacier, Gabe Norwood, and Jeff Chan.

On the other hand, Greg Slaughter and Beau Belga's return to the pool after being the last cuts in the Fiba-Asia team will mean frontliners like Marc Pingris, June Mar Fajardo, Ranidel de Ocampo, and Japeth Aguilar can't rest on their laurels when training camp begins.

Reyes said even naturalized player Marcus Douthit can't rest easy, with NBA veteran Andrey Blatche awaiting the processing of his naturalization papers by Congress.

"Marcus himself has said it: 'It's down to me,'" Reyes said.

From SPIN.ph

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PHI - Gilas player pool for Spain 2014 announced

MANILA - Philippines coach Chot Reyes has decided on the pool of players he wants to consider for the country's FIBA Basketball World Cup squad.

The Philippines were recently drawn in Group B of the competition that will be held in Spain and their opponents will be, in order, Croatia, Greece, Argentina, Puerto Rico and Senegal.

All 12 members of the team that finished runners-up to Iran at last year's FIBA Asia Championship in Manila are in the pool, including naturalized big man Marcus Douthit.

The 2.10m center could face competition for his spot in the team, however, if Brooklyn Nets pivot Andray Blatche receives a passport.

Should the Philippines congress approve the American's application for citizenship, the official number of players in the pool will rise from 17 to 18.

Douthit led the team in scoring (11.9 points per game) and rebounding (9.4 rebounds per game) and also averaged a tournament-best 2.0 blocks per contest in Manila.

The 33-year-old native New Yorker got hurt in the team's Semi-Final triumph over Korea, however, and did not play in the Final against Iran, which the Philippines lost, 85-71.

His absence was especially felt on the boards because the Iranians out-rebounded the Philippines in that championship game, 51-34.

Blatche, 27, averages 11.7ppg and 5.6rpg for the Nets in the NBA.

The last cuts from the 2013 roster, Beau Belga and Greg Slaughter, are in the 2014 pool as well as Marcio Lassiter, Jared Dillinger and Paul Lee.

Lassiter and Dillinger have represented the Philippines before, with the the former featuring at the 2011 FIBA Asia Championship and the latter at the 2012 FIBA Asia Cup.

Dillinger suffered a hip injury in a car accident and wasn't able to play last year.

"I would like to acknowledge the team owners and the PBA (Philippines Basketball Association) Board of Governors for allowing me to name the players in the pool," Reyes said.

"I would like to thank the PBA for its continued partnership to the national team effort."

The player pool will also be used for the Asia Games, which are to be played in Korea (19 September-4 October) after the World Cup (30 August-14 September).

At the recent draw for the FIBA Basketball World Cup, Reyes looked ahead to the teams the Philippines would go up against.

"It is a tough group," he said to FIBA.

"We have no disillusions about our group. It is a very tough group.

"Everything is really going to be hard.

"And in my mind I had mentally prepared, psychologically, already to be up against very, very, very tough competition. We would absolutely love to get to the second round."

The Philippines last played at a FIBA World Championship when the tournament was held in their own country in 1978.

From FIBA

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LA Tenorio can't wait to rekindle 'magical' camaraderie as Gilas begins training camp

GINEBRA playmaker LA Tenorio said he can't wait to get back together with his Gilas Pilipinas teammates and rekindle the "magical camaraderie" which he said had been one of the keys to the team's successful run in the last Fiba-Asia championships in Manila.

Tenorio and the other members of the Gilas team that finished runner-up to Iran in Manila gather once again on Monday at the PhilSports arena for once-a-week practices as they begin preparations for the Fiba World Cup in Spain six  months from now.

Now the former Ateneo star is excited to meet up with the other nationals again - not as adversaries in the PBA but as teammates fighting for one goal.

"'Im very excited to attend practice again for Gilas saka excited to see my teammates again," Tenorio told Spin.ph on Sunday after the Gin Kings' weekend practice.

Tenorio, the 2012 Jones Cup MVP, said the strong bond Gilas players were able to forge during their training camp in Lithuania as well as their series of tuneup matches in New Zealand had a lot to do with the splendid performance they were able to pull off in Manila.

"Everyday we're together. Memorable sa akin iyun kaya I think successful kami last Fiba Asia kasi iba ang samahan ng team namin," recalled the veteran guard.

Gilas coach Chot Reyes said the first day of practice will involve a walk through of the national team's basic plays, though it will also be an opportunity to welcome the three new members of the 17-man pool.

Outside Reyes' "Fighting 12" that brought the country back to the world championships for the first time since 1978, now part of the pool are Rain or Shine guard Paul Lee, Meralco's Jared Dillinger and San Miguel Beer shooter Mario Lassiter.

Also recalled to the pool were Rain or Shine's burly big man Beau Belga and Ginebra's rookie center Greg Slaughter, the two last cuts before last year's Fiba Asia showpiece.

Of the three new faces, Dillinger is actually also a 'returnee' having joined Gilas during a tournament in Japan back in 2012.

Reyes said Gilas remains focused on its goal of winning at least two games in the preliminaries in order to get an opportunity to advance to the round of 16 in the Fiba World Cup showpiece.

From SPIN.ph

[Zurca]

Greg Slaughter vows to be stronger, better as he gets another shot at Gilas spot

HIS failure to make the final cut of Gilas Pilipinas last year and the subsequent elimination of Barangay Ginebra in the semifinals of the recent PBA Philippine Cup have motivated rookie big man Greg Slaughter to do even better by trying to build a stronger and well-built physique.

Slaughter, the 6-foot-11 freshman center is coming off a solid debut conference as a pro after averaging 15.4 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, and 1.3 assists in 23 games during the All-Filipino conference where the Kings fell at the semifinal stage after being ousted by eventual champion San Mig in a decisive Game Seven.

But despite coming up short in his bid to win a first-ever PBA title, Slaughter received a piece of good news on Friday when he was named among the 17 players who will comprise the Gilas Pilipinas pool for the Fiba-World Cup in Spain later this year.

Back when he was still an amateur, Slaughter, along with Rain or Shine's Beau Belga, was among the last players to be cut by coach Chot Reyes to comprise the Gilas Pilipinas squad that finished runner-up in the Fiba-Asia Men’s Championship in Manila last year.

While aware competition for a roster spot at Gilas will be tough, Slaughter, now a full-fledged pro, said he’ll try to give it his best shot to make the final 12 once the national squad starts its once-a-week training on Monday at the Philsports Arena.

“After the first conference and how exciting it was and then, coming up short in the semifinals, it has really motivated me (to work even harder in the conference break),” Slaughter shared to Spin.ph on Saturday.

But to get a shot at a place in the World Cup team, the former Ateneo star from Cebu knows he has to be stronger and better than he was during his first stint with Gilas - the reason he is motivated to work hard in the months ahead.

“Definitely, for sports, the body is your base, so I’ve got to have the body and the skill,” he added.

Still, the top rookie pick overall will definitely have his hands full vying for a spot in Gilas’ frontline against naturalized player Marcus Douthit, Ginebra teammate Japeth Aguilar, San Mig forward Marc Pingris, Talk ‘N Text’s Ranidel de Ocampo and Philippine Cup Best Player of the Conference June Mar Fajardo of San Miguel Beer.

Aside from Slaughter and Belga, the other new faces in Reyes' training pool for the World Cup are Rain or Shine’s Paul Lee, San Miguel gunner Marcio Lassiter, and Meralco’s Jared Dillinger.

From SPIN.ph

[Zurca]

Gilas begins new, tougher journey to the FIBA World Cup

MANILA, Philippines – "Last year Asia, this year the world, gentlemen."

That's how Gilas Pilipinas head coach Chot Reyes wrapped up day one of Gilas' journey to the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Spain.

The national men's basketball squad convened for their first practice together on Monday, March 3 at the PhilSports Arena (ULTRA) in Pasig, in preparation for the World Cup in August.

It was the first team gathering since Gilas lost to Iran in the 2013 FIBA Asia Championships, where they qualified for the World Cup by finishing in second place.

"I must admit I missed them," Reyes remarked.

Of the 17-man pool, 16 were present at ULTRA and only 8 players suited up. Understandably, first practice was light and was more of an orientation for the returning members as well as for the new additions to the pool.

Guard Jeff Chan missed practice as he was still in Bacolod with his family, while Japeth Aguilar, Greg Slaughter, June Mar Fajardo, Marc Pingris, Ranidel de Ocampo, Jared Dillinger and Marcio Lassiter were all in street clothes, as they nursed various injuries.

According to Reyes, he hopes to have all of his players suited up and ready to go by next week's practice.

Reyes expanded the 12-man team that won the silver in last year's FIBA Asia Championships and named Dillinger (Meralco Bolts), Lassiter (San Miguel Beermen), Paul Lee (Rain or Shine Elasto Painters) and Slaughter (Barangay Ginebra San Miguel) to the pool. He also tapped the services of Beau Belga (Rain or Shine Elasto Painters) once again.


Drills and laughter

Gilas started their night with a viewing of the third episode of Sports5 documentary Kuwentong Gilas, with this week's episode centered on Marc Pingris.

Watching and reminding themselves of their own inspiring journeys looks like the perfect primer to a two-hour grind every Monday.

"That's going to be a regular part of our routine," Reyes said. "It's also part of building our bond and reconnecting with each other."

After the viewing players proceeded to learning and executing some initial drills aimed at minimizing turnovers through proper spacing of the floor and constant movement.

The drills were marred with several errors but also with plenty of laughter and good teasing despite the impending challenges they must soon face.

Gilas will soon have to find ways to overcome their tough opponents in Group B, with the goal of notching a couple of wins to make it to the next round. The Philippines landed in Group B during the FIBA World Cup Draw together with Senegal, Puerto Rico, Argentina, Greece, and Croatia.

The relaxed mood emanating from the players rippled around ULTRA, which was empty save for some seats occupied by a good number of spectators and media.

Gary David incited fits of laughter once again with a post-practice joke before Reyes adjourned the first of many more huddles to come with their emphatic battlecry: "Laban Pilipinas! Puso!"

Gilas will be practicing every Monday night and at the same time juggling responsibilities with their mother ballclubs in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

The PBA has shortened its season, with the third and final conference finishing July 15 at the earliest or July 22 at the latest, to give Gilas extended time for preparations.

From Rappler.com