Another coach, another system pero Gilas pa rin
I’m not belittling the victory we had over Indonesia at the Britama Arena in Jakarta recently but with the win, the SBP had declared, after just a game, that the future of Gilas is bright. It sure is bright but it simply lacks the exact wattage to shine. It is like saying that the de LaSalle Green Archers will be UAAP’s title favorites after winning a tune-up game against Emilio Aguinaldo College. Or the CESAFI juniors’ crown will go to the Baby Lancers after defeating Liloan National High School in an exhibition match.
The future will surely be brighter than bright if the national team can have a permanent coaching staff and when we say permanent, like handling the team for at least a few years, or until we stop of dreaming conquering the basketball powers of Europe and the Americas. Different coaches will have different styles and systems, different attitudes and of course, different favorites.
The same holds true with the players. We just can’t have consistency when every FIBA tournament we see a different combination of players. We can assemble the best players that the Philippines can offer for the national team but putting them up together in a matter of weeks simply won’t work. Even the best needs time to prepare.
The experimental hybrid mix of professional and college standouts looks promising, and personally, I like it. The national team could eventually be weaned from the reliance on the pro players whose availability are wholly dependent on the decisions of their mother teams. This college and amateur set-up could have us on the losing end for a while but considering the young talent pool and the size and length that we have at our disposal, it won’t take us long to be dominant, not in the world stage but probably in the Asian setting.
Domination takes time and if we follow the examples of the superpowers of sports on the way they train their athletes for their national teams where they quarantine players to their quarters for several years, and have training, conditioning and practice for breakfast, lunch and dinner, only then can we declare that the Gilas future will be bright. Or in any other sport that the country wishes to accomplish world recognition.
The Gilas program director bared of plans for the team after the recent FIBA window and this includes foreign training. I would suppose that this will be for the cadets and the international exposure would be very beneficial for them. If we can maintain the commitment of these amateurs, we just might be on the right track.
With him handling the program, it would not be surprising if this team becomes the Gilas Blue Eagles. The team that won over the Indonesians had at least five past, present and future Ateneans. Sooner or later, the 7-foot teenager currently training overseas and the son of a retired PBA stalwart who was a Bulldog for two seasons and who’s rumored to be playing for Ateneo when the UAAP Season 83 opens, surely will be joining the cadet pool.
Again, I say, different style, different attitude and different, you fill in the blanks. It could be for the better in the long run as there will already be familiarity with the system and most important, there will be cohesion and chemistry among the players.
Go Gilas!
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