FIBA Asia Cup: Gilas Pilipinas, team to beat?….

THERE’S a lot of fuzz going on and around the world of social media, as the anticipated FIBA Asia Cup set in August, to be hosted by Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on whose the favorites or the teams with the highest chance of winning the coveted title.

Since the 16 qualified countries have already split into four group stages following the world governing body’s draw seedings held two weeks ago. Games analyst, experts and so-called experts, have taken and expressed their respective views, fearless forecast in social media. Coming out with their own sets favorites, “dark-horses” and team to beat.

In fairness. The way I sees and read it, their views and analysis, is something everyone should consider and would somehow give you an idea in making our game perspective once the games begin on Aug. 5 to 17, in the city of Jeddah, wherein thousands basketball-loving immigrant workers are based, which majority of those expats are comprised by Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW)s

And tagged by game experts to win the championship is defending champion Australia, which is eying for a three-peat and expected to top Group A along with 2022 runner-up Lebanon, South Korea and 2027 FiBA World Cup Qatar. Ever since the world body’s inclusion of the Asia-Pacific countries in the Asian main draw. The Aussies and New Zealand have been dominated the region. The Boomers even went on topping the Olympic Qualifying windows for Asia.

Though Australia is represented by seasoned NBL (National Basketball League) and some rookies in the said tournament, it remained a tough title contender to deal with, unlike its more illustrious Olympian counters led by Chris Goulding, Elijah Ron Pepper and Wena David Okwera.

Japan, which is the second best Asian finisher (next to Australia), in the last 2023 World Cup is tagged as favorite to come on top of Group B, as the Japanese are sending their Olympic squad led by a NBA players Yuki Kawamura, who played for the Memphis Grizzlies, former New Jersey Nets Yuta Watanabe and Los Angeles Lakers Rui Hachimura.

With that kind of frontline, Japan is expected to tow three other teams, 2014 titlist Iran and a pair of newcomers in the tournamnet, Guam and Syria. It is reported the Guamanians is led by former PBA player Jericho Cruz, who played for Mahindra (now Terrafirma) before his family migrated to the US protectorate Island state.

In Group C, is lead by six-time champion China, though the team is on a rebuilding process, following a back-to-back defeat to Gilas-Pilipinas, is still picked to lead the pack, along with Jordan, host Saudis and another newcomer India. The Jordanians, who wound up runner up to Gilas in 2023 Asian Games, is reportedly backed by TNT Tropang Giga import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. He recently led TNT to a championship finished in last Governor’s Cup.

Despite the nationals’ series of defeats, experts, analyst and basketball-surgeons, are not to be ruled out from the title race. Infact, Kiwi head coach Judd Plavell has a high regards to Gilas’ capacity and capability to bounce back even from a series of setbacks, and Tim Cone’s coaching savvy as he anticipates the Ginebra mentor’s kind of adjustment when the Kiwis and Gilas dispute the top spot in Group D.

New Zealand have been dominating Gilas-Pilipinas in three meeting dates back in 2016 until the nationals snapped the Kiwis dominance at home 93-89 during the third window, before the Kiwis reasserted their mastery over Gilas, 87-70, in the fourth window

Another Gilas’ recent tormentor, Chinese-Taipei, who is also in the same company with Gilas, New Zealand and Iraq, are also eking to prove their 84-65 victory against Gilas the last time, was no fluke and even their loud-mouth Italian coach Gianluca Tucci, boasting that they can beat the nationals again even Cone send Gilas’ A-Team.

Judging Tucci’s big mouth, he’s still regarded Gilas-Pilipinas as a team to beat and a title contender. Whether the Italian big stalker, agree or not, experts even picked Gilas to finish on top of the podium. Based on team chemistry, familiarity with the system, individual talent, resiliency to make the necessary adjustment following the opposition’s thorough scouting.

That’s what Cone and his generational bunch of Gilas talents are known for. Got it Señor Tucci?