Dribble and drive key to Gilas success

MANILA, Philippines - Former Arizona State assistant coach and long-time Philippine basketball observer Paul Howard said the other day if Gilas executes the dribble-drive play to perfection at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament here in July, the odds will even out in battling teams that on paper, look unbeatable.

Howard, 77, has taken countless trips to Manila since the 1980s on basketball visits as a consultant and scout for various teams. The late Ron Jacobs was his best friend. Howard gave up the head coaching job at El Camino junior college to work with Arizona State coach Ned Wulk as an assistant for eight years starting in 1975. The El Camino vacancy was filled by Jacobs who took the varsity to the national championship and later moved to Loyola Marymount University. Jacobs then went to the Philippines in 1980 and enjoyed a long career with the national team and in the PBA.

After Jacobs suffered a stroke in 2001, Howard was brought in as a consultant with the national team under coach Joseph Uichico for the Busan Asian Games the next year. Howard has kept in close contact with Filipino coaches through the years, seeding PBA clubs with imports and college teams with Fil-Ams.

“Golden State’s success in the NBA has changed the way the game is played,” said Howard who averaged 14.8 points as a junior college transfer at Arizona State in 1958-59. “Now, you’ve got five players on the floor who can shoot from anywhere. Like the Warriors, I think the Philippines is in a position to use quickness to its advantage, particularly in running the dribble-drive offense. I call it the drive-and-kick play. That’s how the Philippines can bring down teams like France, Turkey or Canada. It won’t be easy but it’s the way to win in international basketball.”

Howard, who was also assistant coach at the University of Utah under Lynn Archibald, said another key is Andray Blatche’s performance. “To win the FIBA tournament, the Philippines must be in excellent condition,” he said. “If Blatche isn’t in shape, we’re in trouble. Also, I’d like to see JuneMar Fajardo and Blatche play together. Blatche can play the stretch four and he can dominate inside, too. JuneMar’s big and he’s matured since the World Cup in Spain.”

Howard added that Calvin Abueva and Terrence Romeo must play their A-game for Gilas to get a shot at the Olympic ticket. “I’ve watched their progress, Calvin and Terrence are very talented players,” he said. “Playing in Manila is a big factor. The Filipino fans are the best in the world and when they come out to make noise in the arena, that sixth man will be huge. France will be tough with a lot of NBA players in the lineup even if guys like (Rudy) Gobert and (Evan) Fournier aren’t coming. Coach Tab (Baldwin) knows the New Zealand team well. The New Zealand players are tall and strong. Canada could show up with Andrew Wiggins, Kelly Olynyk, Tristan Thompson and other NBA players. The Philippines’ chances hinge on who are coming to play for which team and if the players can execute the drive-and-kick.”

Meanwhile, SBP deputy executive director for international affairs Butch Antonio said the Gilas pool of 22, excluding injured Greg Slaughter and Matt Ganuelas-Rosser, will be cut to 14 when the national team leaves for boot camp in Karpenisi, a town in central Greece, on June 10.

Antonio said no tune-up games are scheduled in Karpenisi, known as the “Switzerland of Greece” because of its mountain views and ski resort. “It’ll be strictly a training camp with no outsiders,” he said. “We’ll be in Karpenisi from June 11 to 19. Then we fly to Istanbul where we play the Turkey national team on June 20. We leave Istanbul on June 23 for a pocket tournament in Bologna, Italy. We play the Italian national team on June 25 and either China or Canada on June 26 then we leave for home on June 27. We play Turkey in our last tune-up game at the MOA Arena on July 1.”

Antonio said before leaving for Greece, Gilas will play two tune-up games against Iran. The first will be a closed-door contest on June 7 and the second will be open to the public at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on June 8. Iran is preparing for its own Olympic qualifier against Greece, Mexico, Tunisia, Croatia and Italy at the 16,600-seat Pala Alpitour in Turin, Italy, on July 4-9.

The Philippines will open its campaign at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament against France at the MOA Arena on July 5. France will assemble the national team for its first practice on June 10. Tune-up games for Les Bleus are scheduled against Latvia at the Palais des Sports in Paris on June 16, Serbia at the AccorHotels Arena in Paris on June 21, Serbia again in Belgrade on June 25 and Japan in Rouen on June 28.

French national coach Vincent Collet recently submitted a 17-man roster from which he will select the final 12. The lineup lists NBA veterans Nicolas Batum, Tony Parker, Boris Diaw, Nando de Colo, Alexis Ajinca, Mickael Gelabale and Joffrey Lauvergne.

A key player for France is 7-1 Ajinca who averaged 6.0 points and 4.6 rebounds in 59 games, including 17 starts, with the New Orleans Pelicans this past regular season. “I don’t know that much about the Philippines and I think it would be a great experience, both on the sport and human sides, to discover the country, their team and their fan base,” said Ajinca. “New Zealand players play hard and with a lot of heart so it’s always tough to beat them. They play in a very physical way and we have to be ready from Day One. Then, we would play against solid teams like Canada, Senegal and Turkey who have a lot of talented players. Nothing will be easy.”