A win-win gambit

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas is in a potential win-win situation in the Asian Games in Indonesia. The sudden decision to send a men’s team (rumored to be at the behest of a basketball-loving high government official), has been met with tremendous good will by the public, and has so far been a PR boon to both the SBP and PBA. Unknown to the general public, the PBA gave the SBP the option of borrowing players for either the two FIBA windows against Australia or the Asian Games. Doing both would have meant postponing PBA games for a month and a half. The SBP chose the FIBA schedule.

Naturally, basketball fans were upset upon belatedly learning of this. Fans still remember the 2005 Philippine SEA Games. There was no basketball competition, because the country was under suspension by FIBA due to the tug-of-war between the old Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP) and the fledgling SBP. This time, questions arose. Why not send the Gilas cadets, or a squad built around the core of NLEX or Rain or Shine, which were willing to play, regardless of the circumstances? Apparently, if Gilas Pilipinas wasn’t going, nobody was.

So ready or not, the heavily reinforced NLEX squad has marched into the Asian Games to take on the giants of the continent. If they match or exceed the country’s seventh-place finish in 2014, it will be considered a success. Hedging its bet, the SBP also moved mountains to get the NBA and the Cleveland Cavaliers to release Jordan Clarkson to the Philippine team in time for the Games. Since FIBA’s eligibility rules are relaxed for the Asian Games, Clarkson can play alongside Christian Standhardinger, when normally only one of them could play as a naturalized player in official FIBA tournaments. Regardless of what happens now, the SBP has proven that it has done everything possible to put the rushed team in a position to win.

But let’s mitigate our expectations. The collective cheering for Clarkson’s arrival is akin to that of a savior. This is a golden opportunity for Clarkson, too. His apparent confusion and poor shooting during the NBA Finals (which the Cavs lost to the Golden State Warriors), caused a slight dip in his popularity. Against lesser continental competition, he is expected by Filipino fans to dominate. Of course, from what we’ve seen so far, the players are being given a lot of latitude to attack the basket and create openings for their teammates. Here’s hoping that Clarkson gets the gist of Yeng Guiao’s system (and overcomes jet lag) in the few days before the game against China.

When the SBP made the announcement that it was taking a “step back” after the blowout loss and brawl against Australia, we didn’t expect any major changes. This writer said that skipping the Asian Games was a bad idea, but if the SBP truly reevaluated its system and made changes, then it would be worth it. Mistakes of the past have caused hard-earned progress to stall. And the mistakes were primarily the result of ignoring previously established rules and protocol. Fortunately, in this instance, the NBA was unable to communicate its policy (and why China’s NBA players were allowed to play in Indonesia) to the Philippines. Thus, the country gets a one-time exemption for Clarkson.

The bad news is that team Pilipinas has had little time to prepare. The good news is that the nationals have the element of surprise. Best of all, respected coaches from Tab Baldwin to Guiao himself declare that no one can stop Stan Pringle. And so far, team Pilipinas has been shooting exceptionally well from the outside.

Best of all, there is really no pressure on the team, more so now that they’ve blown out Kazakhstan. If China beats Kazakhstan, then the Philippines goes on to the next round. And even if there is a three-way tie, the huge Philippine quotient will likely be padding enough to gain entry to the quarterfinals, as well. Then one more win (which will be determined by who advances from the other groups) guarantees beating the country’s record in 2014.

 What we can learn from this experience is how to keep fans happy, while also exploiting the rules of international competitions. Though the focus is the FIBA World Cup and qualifying for the Olympic Games, there could be more than one Philippine team, or a small pool of players who might not be allowed to play together in official FIBA tournaments, but can suit up as teammates in others. And of course, the players who gallantly offered to play in Jakarta will be better for this experience. Any competition at this level raises your game, your confidence, your nationalism, and your pride. 

All told, everyone wins. The Philippines has a team to cheer for in the midst of natural disasters; Jordan Clarkson flies into Jakarta a hero; Yeng Guiao and his players are proven true patriots. Most of all, SBP benefits from a different way of doing things, and the PBA once again proves it goes out of its way for flag and country.

And as a bonus, the Philippines just might medal.