Fiba World Cup 2023 Philippines

[CoJ]

Unpopular opinion maybe but I think Balti doesn't deserve the slot in the final 12. That commitment issue can really leave a sour taste in the mouth. same as Kai, the handlers must show they willing to risk lending their players for the buildup. They can't just go in and grab a slot automatically just because they are big and long (what gilas badly needs atm). it is a disservice to the ones who actually showed up every call up.

I've been too critical with JMF, Japeth and the Ravenas but we can't discredit their commitment to Gilas despite nagging injuries or public anger.

[xenoloxy]

A bit concerning to me is Oftana looking a bit puffy and slower in the perimeter. From what I saw his man just drove on him at will. And it may be his seemingly added weight that is the cause. Again players gaining or losing weight I think is within the control of the coaching staff. So Oftana gaining weight and getting slower is probably from a directive of coach Chot and co. They probably want him to play some PF and envision him to be some sort of Dwight. But again the danger of getting slower because of added weight is always there. We're so used to African descent players not being bogged down even after getting muscles but this is more the exception than the rule. European players tend to be slimmer to maximize speed. Locally, it is probably only Thirdy that mainted his lateral speed with added muscle. His bro, Kiefer is slow post Dust, and probably it is his weight that's the problem. Dust may have helped him add explosiveness but after that he has zero explosiveness.

So going back to Oftana, it seems it's a sign of Chot's desperation for help in the PF that he seems to be bulking up now. Oftana may have scored 10 yesterday but his perimeter defense looked awful to me.

so we're treating pure speculation as facts now?

[C2Hamm]

Unpopular opinion maybe but I think Balti doesn't deserve the slot in the final 12. That commitment issue can really leave a sour taste in the mouth. same as Kai, the handlers must show they willing to risk lending their players for the buildup. They can't just go in and grab a slot automatically just because they are big and long (what gilas badly needs atm). it is a disservice to the ones who actually showed up every call up.

i have not read anyone saying give a spot to Balti. but a lot, including myself, wanted him to be part of the pool. ive read\heard others wanting greg, bolick, tuffin to be in the pool. in the PH, because there are multiple levels of people you need to talk to to most players, its quite hard to invite players who has a handler that has some issue with SBP\Gilas. example aside from Balti, was Abando when CTB was still coach. Abando wanted to be part of the pool, but he said he was never invited and could have been if he was wearing a diff jersey. noone from Letran or anyne from SBP said anything about it. LH was still helping Letran during that time. i randomly see tall kids from Pampanga. SBP needs to talk to Delta for those kids if they want them to be in the Batang Gilas pool. it may not be ideal, but SBP has to be able to differentiate itself from the PBA to ensure their bridge to these camps are different from whatever team current SBP heads are reppin.

[Rds]

I thinking your just thinking too much. OFTANA is coming off a injury and first tune up game after one game in Europe. He actually blow by his defender in one play and give the ball to a back cutting Aguilar for a 2pt.

He defended no. 8 of Iran very well including stopping is penetration and pull up move in the last possession of Iran in the 1st half. He mostly is in the perimeter us Iran when to 5 out or 4 out offense.

Well the injury might be a factor. But he does look bulkier. I didnt see the stop you saw. But I saw him being blown by 2 or 3 times in a few minutes. We'll have a bigger sample size against Senegal.

[Rds]

so we're treating pure speculation as facts now?

I qualified my words. Those were my impressions. And he did get blown by a few times. Although I didnt say all the time, since I didnt watch the whole game. But it was significant for me because it happened two or 3 times in the plays that I saw. And I was not the only one who thought he was bulkier. In any case we'll get a bigger sample size today.

[Rds]

Unpopular opinion maybe but I think Balti doesn't deserve the slot in the final 12. That commitment issue can really leave a sour taste in the mouth. same as Kai, the handlers must show they willing to risk lending their players for the buildup. They can't just go in and grab a slot automatically just because they are big and long (what gilas badly needs atm). it is a disservice to the ones who actually showed up every call up.

Balti and Delta might have been a bit prima donna when they begged off the qualifiers for the reason he was preparing for the B league and then played him in a league Delta was in. But after that Balti has been consistent in saying he would like to play for Gilas. He said that in the interview in the B league. He said that every time he is asked in the MPBL. Then Delta said that in an interview. What more proof do you need that despite being coy the first time the player and his handler do want to join the Gilas. I think its a combination of disinterest from Chot and wariness from the PBA over Delta. Regardless, as I said before in Philippine basketball you shouldn't be too picky with players. The big hole in the 4 is evidence of that now.

[JAMSKIE]

i remember photos of CTB talking with Delta. obviously for Balti. thing is, SBP could have done that and whatever issue PBA and Delta had, they could have just separated Balti from it. maybe the talk happened and we didnt know but i think if it did and a photo of it leaked out, baka nga the powers that be could have let Balti be in the pool. then again, maybe CCR felt that he didnt need Balti for whatever reason. plain and simple. i do not agree with that though. specially when Tamayo begged off, I was waiting for Balti to be tapped. didnt happen.

As what some posters here imply, maybe Balti isn't the type of "four" Chot likes in his team. That Chot prefers a Jamie Malonzo type of a four who has the athleticism & the versatility to play as a wing. But the thing is, it is a pool that Chot is handling in which as many as 21 or 22 players were originally named to the pool. I very much agree with you, when Tamayo begged off, that was the time that Chot should have named Balti in the pool. We are not living in a perfect world in which things wud always go according to plan. Far from it. What if, GOD forbid, Malonzo gets injured? Who would be our "four"? Dwight Ramos? Japeth? Edu? Come on! That is not their natural positions.

Gilas pool is just too thick at the wing positions, yet too thin at the four position. I hope we won't be seeing Oftana, Clarkson or even Rayray Parks at the 4 spot.

So much for that position-less basketball.

[zairex]

I qualified my words. Those were my impressions. And he did get blown by a few times. Although I didnt say all the time, since I didnt watch the whole game. But it was significant for me because it happened two or 3 times in the plays that I saw. And I was not the only one who thought he was bulkier. In any case we'll get a bigger sample size today.

Rewatch the game. Oftana got blown by 2 times in 4th only. None in the first half. One is the no. 1 of Iran were he got blow by, pass to his teammate and Edu got called for a foul for a clean block. The other one with less then 2 minutes left. Thats it.
HE was able to keep up with his defender even with guards of Iran. Watch the final possession of Iran in the first half. Of course this is Iran B, lets see again in Senegal game.

[zairex]

Watch this video of Bakits. I agree on his criteria on PG.

[IPC]

Rewatch the game. Oftana got blown by 2 times in 4th only. None in the first half. One is the no. 1 of Iran were he got blow by, pass to his teammate and Edu got called for a foul for a clean block. The other one with less then 2 minutes left. Thats it.
HE was able to keep up with his defender even with guards of Iran. Watch the final possession of Iran in the first half. Of course this is Iran B, lets see again in Senegal game.

So not much to be concerned about?

[Giannis34GOD]

wow. so paano, if they get beaten twice by Senegal, should we just not expect anything anymore?

Maybe yes… but I think gilas can split their matches ba Senegal… maybe junmar will have another great game against Senegal , just like he did 9 years ago….

[magic_chiongson]

how was oftana's shooting? if he can shoot well from 3 they should take him from that facet alone. also in the easl i remember him doing pretty well defensively against the kbl's mvp, but he also did some unnecessary pba fouls

[zairex]

So not much to be concerned about?

Based on Iran game. Yes. More time he guarded perimeter players and did not give up a shot.

[Rds]

Maybe yes… but I think gilas can split their matches ba Senegal… maybe junmar will have another great game against Senegal , just like he did 9 years ago….

I don't think so. One, he was younger and did not come from a broken leg. Two, many people forget RDO (accidentally or intentionally) head-butted Gorgui Dieng. Dieng was a monster before that. He had to sit out probably because of concussion symptoms. Without Dieng, Senegal's frontline wasn't as intimidating.

[Rodbi]

Maybe yes… but I think gilas can split their matches ba Senegal… maybe junmar will have another great game against Senegal , just like he did 9 years ago….

Depends on the severity of the loss and how the scoreline would be, i guess. But then again, it's the Gilas Team B so a loss of not more than 10 points and not wire-to-wire won't be that bad.