FIBA ASIA Cup Qualifiers

[Metta]

Did someone get banned? I was expecting this thread to be flooded with his hot takes.

[Metta]

No need to be over-excited and over-unexcited about that HK game. It's the first game and it's against a weak team. Most of the takeaways (both positive and negative) from that game won't translate against better teams.

The game against Taiwan should be better in terms of analysis for our quality.

[B L A C K S U N]

It's the fact that once they went up 9-0, they allowed this team that's not on their level to make it a game for at least a half. And yes, I did compare to how this game went by with the Korea-Australia and Taipei-NZ games. This FIBA game is about who makes runs at the right time. It didn't look very professional out there for the first 20 minutes. Then those outside shots started to fall despite good defense... then HK just ran out of gas when Gilas decided to run... this clearly won't work against better teams and the thought of it makes me doubt our chances in World Cup qualifying next year when all them Ginebra players will be tired af coming into those late-2026 windows if the SBP still goes with this aging core. For FIBA Asia qualifying, it is what it is. 2nd place in the group suddenly looks questionable.

I'm honestly not quite sure if I'm gonna take you seriously or not. You are expecting perfection on their first official game? The players barely understand the system. It would probably take at least 6 months to get the basic gist of it.

[Metta]

Over-confidence is a common thing. Gilas never really thought of HK as a threat. They throttled HK in the beginning, HK punched back, they got surprised by the resistance, and then just remembered how much better they were. This won't work against better teams, but it's understandable for a first game against a weak team.

We'll be seeing zone defense against us plenty since scouting report on us is bad shooting. And if we can't bust zone D's, it gives our inferior opponents a chance to hang.

As far as plays/actions are concerned...I'd just like to assume that we don't want to show our plays this early especially against a team we can beat bara-bara style.

[Kaireem]

It's the fact that once they went up 9-0, they allowed this team that's not on their level to make it a game for at least a half. And yes, I did compare to how this game went by with the Korea-Australia and Taipei-NZ games. This FIBA game is about who makes runs at the right time. It didn't look very professional out there for the first 20 minutes. Then those outside shots started to fall despite good defense... then HK just ran out of gas when Gilas decided to run... this clearly won't work against better teams and the thought of it makes me doubt our chances in World Cup qualifying next year when all them Ginebra players will be tired af coming into those late-2026 windows if the SBP still goes with this aging core. For FIBA Asia qualifying, it is what it is. 2nd place in the group suddenly looks questionable.

hater, go munch on baldwin's ....

[Kaireem]

Over-confidence is a common thing. Gilas never really thought of HK as a threat. They throttled HK in the beginning, HK punched back, they got surprised by the resistance, and then just remembered how much better they were. This won't work against better teams, but it's understandable for a first game against a weak team.

We'll be seeing zone defense against us plenty since scouting report on us is bad shooting. And if we can't bust zone D's, it gives our inferior opponents a chance to hang.

As far as plays/actions are concerned...I'd just like to assume that we don't want to show our plays this early especially against a team we can beat bara-bara style.

hk came back vs the 2nd team - during the time tamayo and kq playing the 5 and 4 spots to be exact

oh and yeah kq scored 15 points but 9-10 of those came when gilas was already up big in the 4Q but let's not kid ourselves he was too small to bother duncan reid at the post and too slow to cover th hk perimeter players during the 2Q

it'll be interesting if how much tim will go with him vs taipei

on a separate note edu didn't play so that robbed us of a kai + edu frontcourt, dwight also had an offnight by his standards. oftana surprisingly is an asset with his perimeter d but he seems to be too tight on the offensive end - takes too much time to shoot compared to how he does it in the pba, cone needs to tell him its ok to miss.

as far as the bench goes, tamayo seems to have regressed and gilas would've been better off with abando and parks than perez and malonzo.

there's a couple more players tim should look at - if will navarro is healthy then he, oftana and kq gives us decent size, skill and depth at the 2 and 3 positions. i think we need a young stretch 4 like balti or carino rather than japeth at this stage. for the point heading and bolick should be considered.

[reamily]

i thought it was a good game for dweet as he didnt ball hog the ball.. only take shots he should take.. ball handling still an issue even as sg he isnt used on the quick passing yet..

[yogaflame]

It is still a big learning curve, I won't even be suprise if we struggle against Taiwan, but this is Coach Cone, he knows how to adjust. But to be honest, right now , if we have a game against New Zealand, will be clobbered, it's a lopsided win for NZ. NZ is to physical for lur team right now. For me we need two 6'6 and above athletic and high motor banger. Mike Philips and Zavier Lucero could have been the perfect two, but will there ever be considered as local? How about Ange Kuoame? He was raised here in the Philippines.

[Giannis34GOD]

Some posters here are too paranoid with Gilas 1st official FIBA game under CTC... Cmon!!! This is just only the beginning, Day 1 / Game 1 of what? 100 days / Games of being together... This is 4 year program... Stop being too much critic on this new program... As if we go all out on that game vs HK, they just try to run what CTC wants to be long term... No need to win big blowouts here... This is not FIBA Asia cup main tournament or WC that every point counts...

[Giannis34GOD]

So then what was the whole point of getting a coach of a pro team... who had four of his players from his own team... plus three players he worked with in the Asian Games... and two B.League players that are supposed to be pro-level who he is very familiar with working as an assistant in the World Cup... leaving Tamayo and KQ as the only guys who had to be familiar with the group?

Did you buy that bs that Al Francis and those SBP replacements told you that this setup should be that much better in terms of continuity than a bunch of college kids and a FIBA (Al Francis even dared to call him an amateur) coach in a 3-week camp so that the PBA can just finish the Commisioner's Cup in peace?

Sotto was the most useful player in that game no thanks to this stagant offense they tried to run, but because all HK could do was foul his lanky ass and try to make it harder for him to position inside... but he made 7/8 FT's. Cone's own Ginebra players were trying to play PBA baaketball in a game where no one calls defensive 3 for camping in the paint on the zone.

See, the difference with legit FIBA ball than a typical Ginebra game is the number of actions away from the ball to find the best option as opposed to moving that ball around where the end result is a contested corner three or skip pass to the top where everything is more about JB's talent and ability to draw defenders than tactical maturity. Ultimately, they made those shots in the 3rd but found more success out-running a tired 6-man HK team.

Is that you Billy Manzano? Parehong pareho kayo ng take ni Billy Tabs eh... Just easy... This is just Day 1 together as a team in their 4 year program together... We don't need to win big leads against weak teams just to prove we are strong team...

[Giannis34GOD]

Predictions for sunday's game:

Hong Kong - New Zealand 35
Japan - China 18
Korea - Thailand 20
Mongolia - Guam 10
Chinese-Taipei - Philippines 10
Indonesia - Australia 45

How about today's game? What are your takes? We have to check their games, especially Jordan, Iran and especially our main rival Lebanon....

[Giannis34GOD]

tamayo is not a center and shouldn't be played as one. he's at his best playing PF next to sotto/edu or as a sf with all 3 of them on the floor.

i liked what i saw from oftana, doesn't need the ball in his hands to be effective. great defense too. nice to see somebody adjust well to being a role player after being the primary option in the pba

I tell you, Oftana is vital for CTC's rotation... I think CTC more trust Oftana than his main guy in Ginebra at Malonzo... He was the 1st pick of CTC when he appointed as coach...

[The_Big_Cat]

I tell you, Oftana is vital for CTC's rotation... I think CTC more trust Oftana than his main guy in Ginebra at Malonzo... He was the 1st pick of CTC when he appointed as coach...

This I agree with. Every team needs role players. This is why Cone probably picked Oftana. Defense-oriented in the perimeter and can shoot the lights out if left wide open.

[Giannis34GOD]

This I agree with. Every team needs role players. This is why Cone probably picked Oftana. Defense-oriented in the perimeter and can shoot the lights out if left wide open.

I also want him last WC over Pogoy that time... Just Chot loves his boytoy Pogoy... perfect wing guy for Gilas since Norwood., But Oftana have better offense than Norwood...

[ja.he]

How about today's game? What are your takes? We have to check their games, especially Jordan, Iran and especially our main rival Lebanon....

I'll give one:

Iran - Qatar 30
Kazakhstan - India 18
Iraq- KSA 12
Syria - Lebanon 20
Bahrain - UAE 11
Jordan - Palestine 17