Philippines Senior National Team Thread Vol. V

[IPC]

Just need to get a few defenders in key positions, then scheme. If we can't get more defensive bigs here, then ideally, we have more perimeter defenders who can fight screens, since AJ's injury-prone, and Kai looks to be limited to the interior. That's how Olympiacos had a good defense even with 7'2" Moustapha Fall (who I think is a good defender, just limited mobility due to size) and not so good defenders at the 4. Good perimeter defenders in Thomas Walkup, Giannoulis Larentzakis, and even Isaiah Canaan can fight screens.

We just had a few defenders in 2013 (Ping, Fonacier, Gabe, Douthit), but they were key, and we defended well throughout the tournament except in the final where we missed Douthit. We had Tab as a consultant, so our defense was going to be good.

For reference, there are a few videos on Olympiacos' defense:

[Silent Killer]

If I remember correctly Bolick wasn't really happy being in NP and was just signing 1 year contracts. They only invited him AFTER he signed those contracts with NP. So free agent and under MVP Berto= no invite. Under contract with SMC= Gilas invite

doesn’t want to be traded i believe to SMC teams..

abando? remember he was a letranite under the former backer smc? SMC has probably have plans on abando for the pba but eventually KBL said annyeonghaseyo on abando

heading? remember he was a special draftee by terrafirma? or other team? but eventually played in taiwan. got his clearance in US.. that’s probably why navarro got sampled by PBA

-just look how petty pba and sbp can be

[IPC]

doesn’t want to be traded i believe to SMC teams..

abando? remember he was a letranite under the former backer smc? SMC has probably have plans on abando for the pba but eventually KBL said annyeonghaseyo on abando

heading? remember he was a special draftee by terrafirma? or other team? but eventually played in taiwan. got his clearance in US.. that’s probably why navarro got sampled by PBA

-just look how petty pba and sbp can be

Navarro got released by SBP only after Samsung, the team that he signed with, got Christian David as their Asian import.

That was in incredibly bad faith.

[IPC]

Coach Tim said like (not the exact words) "I think Al Francis Chua played a big part on the selection of players"

Now we know why guys like Robert Bolick & Justin Baltazar was never considered in the Gilas team/pool & it looks like they will never be considered for as long as SMC people are in charge of the national team. I think if its only up to coach Tim, he most likely wud have named Bolick for the pool right from the onset. How can one ignore or pass up on Philippine basketball's best point guard at present?

If I remember correctly Bolick wasn't really happy being in NP and was just signing 1 year contracts. They only invited him AFTER he signed those contracts with NP. So free agent and under MVP Berto= no invite. Under contract with SMC= Gilas invite

Thing is, the only SMC players (farm teams included) outside the pool that make sense are Marcio, Mav, Javi, Navarro, and Carino. Thing with Marcio and Mav is, they're 37 and 32 respectively, although Marcio can still shoot. Navarro and Carino are good defenders at their positions.

I included Javi and excluded Arvin because although both are defensive liabilities, Javi doesn't need a lot of shots to be effective. Just needs to catch and shoot.

[Metta]

Thing is, the only SMC players (farm teams included) outside the pool that make sense are Marcio, Mav, Javi, Navarro, and Carino. Thing with Marcio and Mav is, they're 37 and 32 respectively, although Marcio can still shoot. Navarro and Carino are good defenders at their positions.

I included Javi and excluded Arvin because although both are defensive liabilities, Javi doesn't need a lot of shots to be effective. Just needs to catch and shoot.

Being someone over 40 who still plays once in a while...at some point in your late-30s, you can be continuously be as good as you were in your 20s. Then all of a sudden (can be in a span of a month) you suddenly become old. It usually starts with an injury. The decline is almost always never slow but sudden like falling off a cliff.

Guys who are good in their late 30s, can become really bad in less than a year.

We cannot have a team with multiple late-30s guys if 2027-2028 is the ultimate goal.

[sroth3839]

Being someone over 40 who still plays once in a while...at some point in your late-30s, you can be continuously be as good as you were in your 20s. Then all of a sudden (can be in a span of a month) you suddenly become old. It usually starts with an injury. The decline is almost always never slow but sudden like falling off a cliff.

Guys who are good in their late 30s, can become really bad in less than a year.

We cannot have a team with multiple late-30s guys if 2027-2028 is the ultimate goal.

Pablo Prigioni and Luis Scola were still serviceable past 35.

[Metta]

Pablo Prigioni and Luis Scola were still serviceable past 35.

I said an abrupt (not gradual) break down happens during late 30s. And up to that point, you can play at a high level...then suddenly become trash in less than a year.

Prigioni was retired by age 39 and Scola was playing in China by age 37.

[Metta]

The reason I'm mentioning this is because players approaching their late 30s sometimes do not show any considerable decline. In fact some can even be still exceptional like Nash. But when Father Time catches up, it is sudden.

That's why having multiple players approaching 40 is like playing with fire.

[IPC]

Being someone over 40 who still plays once in a while...at some point in your late-30s, you can be continuously be as good as you were in your 20s. Then all of a sudden (can be in a span of a month) you suddenly become old. It usually starts with an injury. The decline is almost always never slow but sudden like falling off a cliff.

Guys who are good in their late 30s, can become really bad in less than a year.

We cannot have a team with multiple late-30s guys if 2027-2028 is the ultimate goal.

The reason I'm mentioning this is because players approaching their late 30s sometimes do not show any considerable decline. In fact some can even be still exceptional like Nash. But when Father Time catches up, it is sudden.
That's why having multiple players approaching 40 is like playing with fire.

For new additions, it's probably best if we started with the players born 1997 and after, with only 1-3 players born before 1995 to serve as captain, like sir CoJ once said. Balance of experience, and not too old.

[Giannis34GOD]

If I remember correctly Bolick wasn't really happy being in NP and was just signing 1 year contracts. They only invited him AFTER he signed those contracts with NP. So free agent and under MVP Berto= no invite. Under contract with SMC= Gilas invite

It's politics overall against Bolick... Poor guy... He should be there since he's a PBA guy...

[sroth3839]

Dwight led all scorers with 19.

I doubted PG Dwight before but now I think it could work out with CTC’s system.

[ARMIR]

It's politics overall against Bolick... Poor guy... He should be there since he's a PBA guy...

Politics stays in Gilas its just a new face is reprsenting it.We won't see Blolick,Balti,Heading and Kouame in Gilas uniform again,heck the crowd favorite Abando might not see the light of day if he doesn't sign with an SMC team.

[paliganibossalfrancis]

Pablo Prigioni and Luis Scola were still serviceable past 35.

yeah sure but they almost got beat by an unknown and hungry Gilas team led by chot reyes.

[paliganibossalfrancis]

Politics stays in Gilas its just a new face is reprsenting it.We won't see Blolick,Balti,Heading and Kouame in Gilas uniform again,heck the crowd favorite Abando might not see the light of day if he doesn't sign with an SMC team.

Balti's been playing in the MPBL, a second-tier semipro Filipino league for quite some time now. In Pinoy terms, papawis league for Balti's caliber. He doesn't belong in the same level as Bolick Heading and Kouame until he decides to prove himself against the cream of the crop.

[zairex]

Politics stays in Gilas its just a new face is reprsenting it.We won't see Blolick,Balti,Heading and Kouame in Gilas uniform again,heck the crowd favorite Abando might not see the light of day if he doesn't sign with an SMC team.

Bolick is in MVP group, so chances are greater he can play for Gilas. Romeo when moved from TNT to SMC was supposed to play for us in Asian Games even if he was not in good terms with TNT when he left. Similarly with Koume

So Heading can still be part of Gilas, the question is does he want to and willing to play out his contract with Terra Firma like Holt's

Balti is clearly being advise by Pineda on his career choices