2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament

[Metta]

That was the Pakistan NT during the 1990 Asian Games, where the Pakistanis were wearing tennis shorts. But going back to PHL's international success, Caidic's NCC team captured the imagination of the whole nation when they beat USA Select in 1986 Jones Cup. albeit with 3 naturalized players. They were so popular that even the comic trio of TVJ named their movie characters Dennis, Jeff and Chip, and almost all viewers knew the reference.

That NCC team birthed the Arguably GOAT PG in Calma, the Absolute GOAT shooter in Caidic and the Definitive GOAT aerial artist in Samboy,

Haha, yes Pakistan. I think that anecdote of a basketball team wearing tennis shorts is a good picture of how basketball was back then. Another "era-shift" that I think is a big one is how other countries caught up to American superiority.

It shows how the quality of the rest of the world has risen. It makes it that much harder to win now.

If you're familiar with Pinoy players from that era (80s and even early 90s), training/working out is something players do not do (Samboy being one of the few exceptions). Someone jogging every day is already considered as someone who has a good work ethic. That would be laughable in terms of how much skills training and conditioning players do now. The arrival of Filams was something that forced the locals to level-up. Again, another tectonic shift in terms of the rise in quality. I would argue that a high school player such as Gemao now has more hops than Samboy.

Add to that the player's heights now. It really is different eras.

The past generations had kings of their era. This generation will have its own.

[ccharmed]

The battle against brazil will be difficult. They have many extra athletic players, and the fluidity of their offense is simple but effective. We need our best disruptive defense against this good team. An nsd focus would be nice to see.

Let us hope kai, our main center, can get through his injury. Our nt relies too much on the bull strength and solid play of abay kalabaw, brownlee and ramos. It is very risky -- almost suicidal -- to leave behind our main power forwards edu and kouame, a steady-eddy shooter like heading, and explosive attacker and point-defender abando. The pba teams need unlimited-size conferences to develop the perimeter beastfighters needed against euro and latam teams.

Niloloko lang ng pba ang team-fanatical audience, with negligible first-hand knowledge of how excellent basketball is played outside the philippines. Bilog nga bola, binibilog pa utak ng mga bopol na panatiko. Mabuti pa mpbl na masayang panoorin. Eyesores ang bottom half ng pba teams -- shamelessly corrupted farm teams -- and they know it. Only a Strong Group team against a Sanmig team in a seven-game special is something worth looking forward to.

[The_Big_Cat]

That was the Pakistan NT during the 1990 Asian Games, where the Pakistanis were wearing tennis shorts. But going back to PHL's international success, Caidic's NCC team captured the imagination of the whole nation when they beat USA Select in 1986 Jones Cup. albeit with 3 naturalized players. They were so popular that even the comic trio of TVJ named their movie characters Dennis, Jeff and Chip, and almost all viewers knew the reference.

That NCC team birthed the Arguably GOAT PG in Calma, the Absolute GOAT shooter in Caidic and the Definitive GOAT aerial artist in Samboy,

Yes I remember the Pakistani team. It was PH’s first game in that 1990 Asian Games. I was in college back then. I remember they clobbered Pakistan by more than 50 points.

The Chinese team that won Gold had 6’9 Song Ligang. At 6’9 was an elite player in Asia that time because of his size, mobility and athleticism. But Benjie got a highlight over him when Benjie blew by for a dunk.

[Dotch]

If you're familiar with Pinoy players from that era (80s and even early 90s), training/working out is something players do not do (Samboy being one of the few exceptions).

I think it was Tommy Manotok who introduced conditioning regiments as part of their team practices. Physical training and weight lifting is something you do outside of the team practice, and the player just do it as a "hobby" and on his own time. I think there were times that players smoke during the half, and before and after games in the locker rooms.

[Metta]

I think it was Tommy Manotok who introduced conditioning regiments as part of their team practices. Physical training and weight lifting is something you do outside of the team practice, and the player just do it as a "hobby" and on his own time. I think there were times that players smoke during the half, and before and after games in the locker rooms.

That is true. When the first Filfors started joining college teams, their local teammates reacted negatively because they practiced/worked out too much. Kelvin Dela Pena, a FilCan who became MVP in NCAA, got punched by a teammate for practicing too much.

This just shows how "un-optimal" our athletes were back then. And of course, this translates into the overall quality.

[Dotch]

Yes I remember the Pakistani team. It was PH’s first game in that 1990 Asian Games. I was in college back then. I remember they clobbered Pakistan by more than 50 points.

The Chinese team that won Gold had 6’9 Song Ligang. At 6’9 was an elite player in Asia that time because of his size, mobility and athleticism. But Benjie got a highlight over him when Benjie blew by for a dunk.

I think we've dated ourselves with these recollections. Lolz.

Anyways...

Merely weeks before the Asian Games, Caidic broke his golden hand, (the left one, his shooting hand), during the All-Filipino Championships (?) that his team, Presto, won. The whole nation was worried about his condition, like it was a natural emergency, especially when news reports and pictures came out that it was on a cast.

His left hand was still heavily bandaged when the tournament started, but all worries disappeared during their 2nd game vs Japan, when he started hitting those 3s from everywhere. He was automatic and seemed like he cannot miss. He and Samboy lead the comeback from double digits after the half. Japan didnt know what hit them. Good times.

[yogaflame]

Be prepared for high speed game of Brazil. I pray that Kai will be healty and ready to play. Without Kai we have no chance, real talk. Two more wins. God willing we will get the Olympic slot.

[OverratedTabBaldwin]

is this the greatest filipino team post PBA establishment? I know im gonna ruffle some feathers here but all these men achieved more than the Jaworskis, Fernandez, Caidics, once fabled players but is now probably surpassed by these guys in terms of international achievements.

Yes, this is perhaps greatest Filipino team ever. We can all argue that Loyzaga's 1954 team that finished third in the World Cup was the greatest, but that was a post-war world wherein most countries are impoverished and the US was the only game in town. In 1954, Europe was in ruins, Japan was nine years removed from getting nuked by the US, China was fresh from a brutal civil war. Asians were just learning how to govern themselves after hundreds of years of oppression from colonizers.

Gilas beating a top 6 team in a highly globalized world with basketball at its most popular is the most impressive feat a Filipino team has achieved in the last 80 years, IMHO.

Just to add more context regarding difference between eras, Wang Zhizhi was the first Asian to play in the NBA if we exclude Wat Masaka who born in the US. Wang was ahead of his time as he could shoot from the three at 7'1. He was also very mobile and would have been the prototypical big in today's game. Shooting bigs were very rare in the 2000s. 20 years later, Kai Sotto, who is taller, more Athletic and a better two-player than Wang could ever hope for couldn't even crack an NBA roster.

Lastly, just drive home the point even further. Marlou Aquino was our premier center in the 90s at 6'9. Can you imagine what Junemar or Kai would do him? Junemar would absolutely feast in the 90s and probably average 35 and 15 in the PBA. Marlou would've been a taller Kenmark Carino had he played today.

[ccharmed]

The present nt is vastly superior to the small loyzaga team. Cmon, 6'3 loyzaga as the main center??? In those ancient rules, our nt would easily defeat the latvians by holding the ball for 20 minutes or forever. Hindi pa uso time limits nuon. Even the nba had to create the wlit chamberlain rules because wilt would score a hundred points in many games if they didnt.

How can loyzaga even compare to tamayo who is decent at 4 and 5, and international grade at 3? He can be a dangerous 2 once his 3point game sizzles. And how can the entire lozyaga nt handle kai, abay or abando without assassinating all of them???

But, let us still hope that tim cone will not succumb to the yakuza loyalty and favoritism "chemistry" of coach seyer and all those bcap coaches with misguided ideas of ethnic nationalism. Walang alam gagawin mo pa ring coach. You require the bcap to formally write down the names of PROVEN top quality international coaches. Father and son seyer -- who mysteriously are made nt coaches -- will not even excel in the uaap and mpbl.

For each and every bigtime fiba tournament, whoever is best at any given time must be prudently selected. You cant form a national team from just the pba teams today, and everyone knows that.

[greenarcher]

Do you think the Puso Team led by Alapag and RDO can beat Latvia?

[CoJ]

Do you think the Puso Team led by Alapag and RDO can beat Latvia?

With a prime Blatche, its possible

[IPC]

Gilas is a highly technical team with excellent players.- Aleksandar Petrovic

https://www.spin.ph/basketball/fiba/brazil-coach-expects-highly-technical-gilas-pilipinas-team-in-oqt-semis-a795-20240705?ref=home_featured_big

Petrovic said Gilas poses a different challenge compared to other teams they’ve faced including Cameroon.

When asked about it during a postgame press conference, Petrovic said Cameroon plays more of a physical style of play, while the Philippines is more technical.

“If you are not ready to face that physicality which the African teams have, you are in big trouble because they are all over the rim, they press you, and you need to have clean ideas. Cameroon is that kind of team,” said the Croatian coach.

“Philippines is completely different. It’s a highly-technical team with excellent players. Four or five of them play more than 33 minutes. It’s very difficult to compare them. It’s completely different,” said Petrovic.

Never thought the word that will be used to describe us will be "technical."

Technical refers to skill and finesse in Europe.

[deku_midoriya]

With Edu, scottie and malonzo back we should be a better team... These guys are not even 5 months as a team so this OQT is still not the best we could show.

Just 10 players playing together less than a year and yet Gilas is playing like a legit top 20 team in FIBA.

[deku_midoriya]

Never thought the word that will be used to describe us will be "technical."

Technical refers to skill and finesse in Europe.

Thats the only way to describe the team. We are not atheltically imposing like the africans. The closest to our game is argentina, and we can also call that team technical. So yes, under CTC we are technical and deliberate. Under chot, we are trying to be atheltic with the DDO but we dont have the tools.

[Metta]

We're a throwback 90s team. With our twin towers, we're still using bigs (inside) as an advantage. We're not shooting from deep as much as modern teams, instead we're making good use of the mid-range. And our physicality is definitely reminiscent of the 90s.

The famous adage comes to mind...it's better to be different than good.

Hopefully, the public will be patient when this team hits roadblocks. We're ahead of schedule so people's expectations are getting pretty high. What we will need is long-term stability and continuous development.