Men on a mission

Now that Gilas head coach Tab Baldwin has named the 12 to comprise the national team that will battle for a ticket to Rio at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament here on July 5-10, debating on who should’ve or shouldn’t have made it is an exercise in futility.

Some fans are chastising Baldwin for leaving out L. A. Tenorio and Calvin Abueva. They’re convinced Tenorio and Abueva could make a difference when the going gets tough. Who can forget Tenorio bailing out the Philippines in the gold medal win over the US at the 2012 Jones Cup and L. A. ending Iran’s 15-0 burst to lead the Philippines to an 80-71 victory in a recent friendly at the Smart Araneta Coliseum? Tenorio’s experience, clutch mentality and guts are rare for a player his size.

Then there’s Abueva who’s often called a game changer in the PBA. He’s a dervish on the floor, a spinning top who’s as unpredictable as the weather in between the dry and rainy seasons. Abueva plays such an unorthodox game that in the international stage, he can pull the rug from under unsuspecting opponents.

In Gilas’ recent tune-up game against Turkey, didn’t Tenorio and Abueva turn heads around? Only L. A. and Abueva scored for Gilas in the first five minutes of the second quarter. Tenorio wound up with six points and Abueva, eight in Gilas’ 103-68 loss.

But in the final reckoning, there was no room left for Tenorio and Abueva who were squeezed out in a play of numbers. Keeping Tenorio would’ve made Gilas too short in the backcourt with Jayson Castro and Terrence Romeo standing less than six feet. Baldwin went for Ryan Reyes instead because he’s bigger, stronger, a more tenacious defender and just as deadly from three-point distance. As for Abueva, he lost out to Troy Rosario who’s taller and rangier. Abueva isn’t a stretch shooter or a floor spacer like Rosario. But Rosario isn’t a stopper or an energizer like Abueva. Rosario is a Ranidel de Ocampo duplicate so it’s a luxury for Baldwin to keep both players in the roster.

No matter their preferences, Filipino fans should just focus on supporting Baldwin’s final 12. Forget the negativity. Baldwin didn’t play favorites in choosing the final 12 even if four came from Tropang TNT. His goal is to win with the best possible lineup, men he can trust when the war begins. Of course, Baldwin knew there would be a backlash from the public in choosing two TNT players over Abueva and Tenorio. He didn’t flinch for a moment and did what he thought was best for the team and the country. Baldwin is aware that there’s too much at stake in this exercise for him to play favorites.

From the initial pool of 24, four were struck out due to injuries – Greg Slaughter, Matt Ganuelas Rosser, Paul Lee and Marcio Lassiter. Mo Tautuaa was in the list as a practice player and a naturalized option in case Andray Blatche gets injured. Five non-PBA players were also cut, namely, Kiefer Ravena, Kevin Ferrer, Mac Belo, R. R. Pogoy and Russell Escoto. That brought the roster down to 14. Baldwin had up to June 20 to submit a lineup of 12 to 16 to FIBA for the qualifier so the 14-man cast fit the bill. The 24-man list was submitted to FIBA before the first deadline of May 24. The deadline to submit the final 12-man lineup fell last June 27.

The last cast is composed of Rosario, 24, Reyes, 32, Castro, 29, Romeo, 24, Blatche, 29, De Ocampo, 34, Japeth Aguilar, 29, Gabe Norwood, 31, Jeff Chan, 32, Marc Pingris, 34, JuneMar Fajardo, 26 and Bobby Ray Parks, 23. Only Blatche and Parks are without PBA contracts. The squad has two players from Rain Or Shine, four from TNT and one each from San Miguel Beer, Star Hotshots, Globalport and Barangay Ginebra.

Reyes, Rosario and Parks were not on the Gilas teams that played at the 2014 World Cup and 2015 FIBA Asia Championships. Those who saw action in both competitions were De Ocampo, Castro, Norwood, Blatche and Pingris. Aguilar, Tenorio, Fajardo and Chan were in Spain but not in Changsha while Romeo was in Changsha but not in Spain. The average age of the new Gilas team is 28.9 years. In Spain and Changsha, the average age was 32 so Baldwin has made the national team a lot younger.

If Baldwin plays big, he could deploy Fajardo at five and Blatche at four so they play together with De Ocampo or Aguilar or Rosario at three, Parks or Chan at two and Reyes or Norwood at one. If he plays small, Blatche could play five, Aguilar or Pingris at four, Parks at three, Romeo at two and Castro at one. Any combination must be armed with at least three three-point gunners. It may not be easy to execute the dribble-drive offense because once the handler penetrates, he may not be able to see enough daylight for a kick or a shot. Playing pick-and-roll with Blatche setting the screen is a viable option in a two-man strong side game because the defense will track the nine-year NBA veteran if he rolls or pops, leaving the other man possibly open for a shot.

Gilas’ attack should be mainly in transition not in the half-court set. It’s critical for Blatche to pull down the defensive board and pitch the outlet for touchdown passes on the fastbreak. But if forced to play the half-court, Gilas must be ready to load up beyond the arc. Chan, Reyes, De Ocampo, Rosario, Romeo and Castro are distance shooters. Parks is a creator, slasher and a deadly medium-range hitman. Blatche is a do-it-all type while Fajardo and Pingris will clean up the boards. Norwood will fill in the gaps from one to three and maybe, even four.

Gilas will be up against taller and bigger opponents in the qualifier. The key is to force bad shots, secure the rebound and run like the wind. Maybe, Gilas will press and trap if the opposing backcourt is vulnerable.