Scouting and leg work will be key to the success of Gilas Pilipinas.
Gilas Pilipinas coach Yeng Guiao said this before he departed Thursday morning with the rest of the Philippine Men’s National Basketball Team for China to participate in the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
“Ang nakita ng mga scouts (Italy) ay iyung mga game natin sa Spain, and in the windows. At nakita na rin natin silang maglaro,” said Guiao.
Gilas will be on its second consecutive World Cup stint after first making it in 2014.
“They have scouted us, and we have scouted them,” said Guiao of their opponents in Group D.
The Philippines will be facing big challenges, considering that they will be playing Italy, Angola, and favorite Serbia.
First for the Philippines will be Italy on Saturday, August 31 at 7:30 p.m., with Angola on Monday, September 2 at 7:30 p.m.
Italy is ranked no. 13 in the world.
Guiao hopes NBA players Marco Belinelli and Danilo Gallinari won’t be around for the Italians when they meet.
The Italians enter their campaign with seven losses in their final eight tune-up games this summer, including a 32-point rout inflicted by Serbia.
“We are just hoping na di maglaro iyung dalawa,” said Guiao in jest.
The games against Italy will be crucial, but there’s Angola as well.
Angola is supposed to be an underdog, but it could be a difficult team to face as well.
The preparation by Gilas included two tuneup games against the Adelaide 36ers of Australia. This helped coach Guiao decide on his final 12 roster.
The 36ers are the four-time champions of Australia’s National Basketball League.
The tuneup games between Gilas Pilipinas and the Australians came more than a year after a fight broke out on July 2 last year during the Philippines’ game with the Australian Boomers in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Asian Qualifiers at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.
Since then, the SBP replaced many players who were suspended, and Guiao eventually took over from Chot Reyes.
“This is something that I thought will be good for Philippine basketball. I wanted to erase bad memories of the past, and replace them with good memories of Australia,” said Guiao.