Gilas in 2019

Though Gilas Pilipinas is making a great stand in the current Jones Cup in Taiwan, we all know that it is not the ultimate goal. Even when the NCC squad took the tournament by storm and won the championship under Ron Jacobs three decades ago, that was not the target. The goal is to finally bring the Philippines back into the Olympic basketball tournament. As a pioneering participant back in Berlin in 1936, and as probably the most passionate basketball country in the world, Filipino fans have been dying to see us back on that platform.

As of now, Gilas Pilipinas is showing improvement with every game, though obviously there are still concerns about shooting and chemistry. There are two things this writer would like to note, though, that bode well for the team.

First, there is a general attitude of humility about this group of players. From Jordan Clarkson playing water boy to Mo Tautuaa doing rookie chores like his veteran teammates’ laundry, there is a deep simplicity in the attitude of the team. There is no grandstanding, complaining, or whining. Even the veterans are all about the team. There is no sense of entitlement, but an attitude of sharing knowledge, experience, and the ball. The Russia game was a big indicator of what this team is willing to go through to achieve its goals.

The other change some observers have noted is the degree of freedom the players have to create on the fly. Intentionally or not, by necessity or not, head coach Tab Baldwin is unleashing the natural talents of the new Gilas recruits. When you think about it, that is the essence of Filipino basketball, the untranslatable gifts of abilidad and diskarte. That is something that cannot be scouted by the opposition. If you combine that latent ability with the high-level technical training the players are getting, then we will have a new definition for Filipino-style basketball. This will translate to a guard-heavy team, of course, but that’s where a lot of the creativity comes from, in the first place.

Nevertheless, should the present crop of Gilas players be unable to qualify for the Olympics, the next batch would have an even better chance. It will be a combination of homegrown college starts and those who have ventured and made the leap to the US in one way or another. Think about this possible combination of players.

Four years from now, Kobe Paras would still be playing for UCLA, unless he opts out of school early to enter the NBA draft. Paras, still growing, could top out at 6-7 <x-apple-data-detectors://0> or 6-8, and play one, two or three. And he would have been trained at one of the best basketball schools in the world. Having had technical training since early childhood, his confidence would be a big boost to the next Gilas squad. Imagine pairing him with Clarkson in the backcourt. How about putting together Kiefer Ravena and Ray Parks? The two former UAAP rivals and national team leaders would be another potent combination. Ravena’s killer instinct and Parks’ natural talent, honed by what will by then be a couple of years overseas or in the PBA, will make them a lethal duo.

In four years’ time, half the current roster will have retired or surrendered their slots to younger players. But continuity could still be provided by the likes of Gabe Norwood, Moala Tautuaa and a couple of other players who might still be around. What is for certain is that, by then, the country will have naturalized another foreign player who will match whatever system the coaches will have installed by that time, size is definitely the one thing the Philippines concedes at this point, and having a dominant, versatile big man who can put the ball on the floor and play with his back to the basket would be a big plus. Given that a lot can happen in four years, it is possible that Junemar Fajardo and Japeth Aguilar could play for a future edition of the national team. They would certainly be a big help.

By then, there would most certainly be one or two names coming up from the UAAP and NCAA, players who could shore up the forward spots and bring energy, defense and toughness off the bench. The Gilas cadet program will bring out the best in those youngsters.

But the most exciting prospect, as proven by the success of the Azkals in football the past five years, is the potential for more Filipino-foreign players to come out of the woodwork and realize their patriotism to their mothers’ homeland. With over 30 million Filipinos working overseas and millions more having married in other countries, there should be a few who would have the size, strength, training and desire to play for the Philippines. Athletes in other sports like tennis, ice skating and athletics have done it, as well, what more for basketball? The lure would be education and a financial payoff should they make it to the PBA. But in the meantime, they can develop their skills as member of the national team.

For those of us who barely even remember the last time the Philippine basketball team paraded in the opening ceremonies of the Olympics, this would be a fond dream come true. We have realized that this is no longer the late 1960’s or early 1970’s when we could just dominate other countries with ease. The gap between our talent level and Southeast Asia is just as wide as the gulf between us and the rest of the world outside Asia. Things are not the same. In Asia, we are closing in on being the second-best team in the region. That would be a tremendous accomplishment in the next few years, and assures a continued presence in the Olympics if the country can maintain it. Then the next big leap would be to actually win games at the Olympic level.

But let’s take it one dream at a time.