Smart Gilas Pilipinas II: The team with heart

Cover photo by Willy Perez

MANILA, Philippines - These used to be the moments that would suffocate the country’s millionaire, pampered cage stars. They seemed to shiver when they set foot on the international hard court, cringing at the mere sight of the Middle Eastern and East Asian giants.

For a long while, they had only sad tales to tell each time they returned from the Asian wars.

But in the just-concluded 34th William Jones Cup in Taipei, Smart Gilas Pilipinas II slew these demons.

As the final buzzer sounded, the Nationals were free of a loadsome burden, back as champions outside of Southeast Asia for the first time in 14 long years.Smart Gilas’ moment of triumph may long live in the nation’s heart and mind just as the memories of Manny Pacquiao’s feats in the boxing ring would be remembered.

For the leaders of the national basketball federation, the Jones Cup victory could well be an indication the new national pool can achieve its goal of making it to the global stage.

The Philippine team celebrates its first international championship in 14 years.

The Nationals were barely three weeks together when they made their amazing Jones Cup title run climaxed by an epic 76-75 upset of a US team of future NBA players.

Smart Gilas II, adopting a new formula of pooling pro players to team up with naturalized player Marcus Douthit, still has over a year to train before taking a shot at the 2014 FIBA World Cup in the Asian joust next year.

Coach Chot Reyes and his team need to just make the Top Three in the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship to earn a ticket to the world meet.

In 2011 in Tianjin, China, the original Smart Gilas team, featuring amateur stars, barely missed the gold-medal game, bowing to eventual second-placer Jordan in the semifinals. Frustrated by that semis defeat, the Nationals wound up fourth, beaten by the Koreans in the fight for second runner-up honors.

Not losing hope was Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, which put up this new national team program that got off to a flying start with the Jones Cup championship.

“You give us hope and I think it is our duty to reciprocate that hope with faith,” said SBP president Manny V. Pangilinan during the welcome dinner he tendered for the Nationals.

“You not only made us proud, but made us hope again, that indeed, we can achieve what we believe in,” said SBP vice chairman Ricky Vargas.

For all his untiring support in the mission to regain basketball honor for the country, Pangilinan is realistic, though, that the Asian championship isn’t going to be easy. “We have to be realistic and manage expectations,” he admitted.

Smart Gilas II Philippine team head coach Chot Reyes maps out the team’s strategy during a timeout. Marcus Douthit in action (below right). Tournament MVP LA Tenorio scores against team USA’s Vandermeer (below far right).

Seeing up-close international games on the Jones Cup sidelines, PBA commissioner Chito Salud hopes the Nationals get all the support – plus the breaks – they would need.

“I am looking forward to joining the SBP in Japan as the PBA lends its unequivocal support to its quest to have Manila host the 2013 Asian qualifying tournament for the World Cup in 2014,” said Salud.

Another fervent wish is for all the PBA teams to continue their support for the quest and not waver in lending players to the national pool.

Done is a trade transaction that had Alaska Milk dealing LA Tenorio away, curiously upon the Nationals’ return from the Jones Cup. According to reports, the Alaska management made an attempt at the last minute not to let their players join the Taipei trip.

With some emotional baggage, Tenorio played the games of his life, emerging the biggest savior and biggest hero as the Philippines won the Jones Cup for the first time since 1998 and fourth time in the tourney’s 34 editions.

The US is the most dominant team in this annual tourney held in honor of Dr. Renato William Jones, an Englishman who served as FIBA secretary general for 44 years. The Americans are 15-time Jones Cup champs.

In one of the proudest moments in Philippine basketball history, though, the Nationals pulled the rug from under the Americans, banking heavily on Tenorio’s heroics.

“I wish I had some magic formula, I wish I had some secret sauce, but there really was none. The secret was people doing their jobs, performing their roles,” said the Smart Gilas coach of their victory.

Reyes, back as national head coach after calling the shots for the Philippine team that placed ninth in the 2007 Tokoshima Asian competition, lauded his players for the attitude and character they showed in the tourney.

“It’s the least national team that I’ve ever had. But the team played together and played with a lot of heart,” Reyes said, noting the absence of any PBA MVP in his lineup.

“What we had was a group that genuinely liked being there and genuinely liked being together with each other. It was big, helping us get the achievement. They set a high standard for future international teams,” Reyes pointed out.

With Tenorio and Douthit in the winning cast were Gabe Norwood, Jeff Chan, Gary David, Larry Fonacier, Sol Mercado, Ranidel de Ocampo, JayR Reyes, Rico Villanueva, Sonny Thoss, Marnel Baracael and cadet players Garvo Lanete and Matt Ganuelas.

Chan and Norwood, Rain or Shine’s major contributions to the team, stretched their winning ways from the Elasto Painters’ conquest of the PBA Governors Cup championship. The two stood out as the most consistent Gilas players in the Jones Cup.

Triumphant homecoming: The victorious team arrives at NAIA from Taipei. Gabe Norwood taps the ball away from his American opponent.

Gary David, the scoring champ in the last three PBA seasons, and Sol Mercado, returnee from the Gilas’ lineup in the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, had their own moments.

Of course, Douthit was the team’s pillar of strength in the middle, serving well his role in the team’s dribble-drive motion offense.

Reyes believed this particular offense, popularized by renowned American coach John Calipari, played a key role.

“It proved the versatility of the offense,” said Reyes, paying tribute to the same offense that produced three championships for Talk n Text in the last two PBA seasons.

“The tournament started with everybody playing man-to-man. When we broke it, they switched to zone. Even the US switched to zone to stop the dribble-drive,” said Reyes. “That’s the beauty of the offense. It can work against man-to-man, against the zone and against pressure defenses. It can also cater to the players’ strength or what the players can do.”

The Nationals have embraced the philosophy of dribble-drive and thrived in using it in the Jones Cup, rolling past two home teams, Jordan, Korea, Japan, Iran and the US.

The Philippine flag flew proudly in Taipei. Hopefully, it repeats in Japan later this month, and eventually finds a place in the World Cup.