“Judge me in the World Cup,” was uttered by national team coach Vincent “Chot” Reyes after the subpar performance of Gilas Pilipinas in the 31st Southeast Asian Games that took place in Vietnam last 2021.
This statement came in the wake of a rare occurrence where for the first time in more than three decades, the Philippines failed to reach its goal of bringing home the gold medal in a 5x5 basketball competition.
However, after many learning experiences, heartbreaking losses, joyful victories and controversies, the moment had arrived to evaluate his performance, just as he had told us to do.
Everything You Need To Know
Every four years, the Fédération Internationale de Basketball (FIBA) holds its pinnacle competition—the World Cup, where the world's top international teams come together to compete for the coveted title of World Champions. The tournament typically follows a format that includes group stage games followed by knockout rounds, including the Round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the championship game.
This year's tournament marks the 16th edition of this prestigious event, with the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia honored with the fulfilling role of hosting. Throughout the history of the World Cup, the Philippines' most notable achievement was securing a bronze medal in 1954.
Guided by former NBA Sixth Man of the Year Jordan Clarkson, promising NBA hopefuls Kai Sotto and A.J. Edu, the formidable presence of June Mar Fajardo, the current PBA MVP, Scottie Thompson, the stable guard Dwight Ramos, the Marksman Roger Pogoy, Baby Beast C.J. Perez, Highlight Reel Jamie Malonzo, the Phenom Kiefer Ravena, Swiss Knife Rhenz Abando and the team captain Japeth Aguilar, the 12-man squad was determined to reach new heights.
The Battle on the Hardwood
The national team finds itself in Group A, sharing the court with the Dominican Republic, Angola, and Italy. Notably, Gilas encountered familiar opponents in the latter two, having faced them during the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup. Though the team remained winless against these opponents in the past, the strengthened lineup aspired to emerge victorious this time around.
KAT vs Dawgs
Gilas was set to kick off its campaign against the Dominican Republic, led by Minnesota Timberwolves sensation Karl-Anthony Towns and seasoned veteran Victor Liz. However, in a heart-stopping match where Gilas was on the brink of a thrilling victory, their leading scorer, Clarkson, fouled out in the late stages of the game, concluding with an impressive 28 points, seven rebounds, and assists.
The game ended with a score of 87-81, in favor of the South Americans after playing a smothering defense that left the Filipinos gasping for air.
Fajardo delivered a stellar performance for Gilas, netting 16 points, and was perfect from the field with a total of five shots made. Meanwhile, Dwight Ramos contributed 13 points and six rebounds to the team's efforts.
The three-time NBA All-Star Towns, who was playing for the Dominican Republic for the first time in a decade, displayed his talent with a dominating double-double of 26 points and 10 rebounds, showing his clutch genes along the way.
Chot Reyes expressed his pride in the players' performance in a contest that hung in the balance until the very end, hoping to bounce back against Angola.
No Easy Buckets
Following a challenging opening night loss to the Dominican Republic, Gilas Pilipinas was determined to secure a crucial victory as they faced off against Angola. They’re aware that compared to the other teams in the group, this is the best chance they’ll get to win.
It's still essential to note that Angola isn't to be underestimated, as they boast the presence of Bruno Fernando, the first Angolan NBA player, and sharpshooter Gerson Goncalves on their roster.
The club aimed to lessen the mistakes they had committed after turning the ball over 19 times in their previous matchup, yet 15 turnovers were still made. Along with their cold night of shooting and scoring only 18% of their 22 three-point attempts, the Philippines once more came off short with the final score tallying 80-70, in favor of the Africans.
Clarkson once again led the team in scoring, with 21 points in 38 minutes of play. Edu also had a great showing, performing feats that cannot be seen in the box score, while also adding his own 9 points. The Filipinos once again had a chance to win the game, narrowing Angola's 15-point lead to a mere 5 points with just 3 minutes remaining.
However, Goncalves, with ice in his veins, delivered a gut-wrenching 3-point shot that sealed the game's fate to finish with 17 points. Meanwhile, Fernando had a significant presence in the paint, securing 7 boards and contributing 14 buckets.
Battle for survival
With Japan securing a victory against Finland (marking the first win for an Asian team in this year's tournament) and considering that only one spot will be reserved for an Asian region for the 2024 Paris Olympics, the Philippines faces a critical moment.
If they want to get the desired spot on the biggest stage of international basketball, winning this game will indeed be crucial. Regardless, the task ahead will not be easy, considering Italy's remarkable standing as the 10th-ranked basketball team in the world, led by the rising talent of Utah Jazz player Simone Fontecchio and NBA veteran Nicolo Melli.
With news breaking out before the game that Japan had lost against Australia, the Philippines were given a glimmer of hope. Unfortunately, Gilas had to exit the game and the group stage empty-handed, to the disappointment of the Filipino fans succumbing to the mighty Italy, with the final score reflecting a 90-83 loss.
This means that the Philippines won't advance to the second round, despite the heroic efforts of Clarkson, who concluded with an impressive 23 points, 7 boards, and 6 dimes. Rhenz Abando also added energy to the mix, motivating the home crowd with 8 points and a highlight-reel rejection.
Gilas found themselves in a challenging situation as Italy, after shooting a mere 20% from beyond the arc in the first two games with a total of 12 three-pointers. The Europeans just got hot converting 41% of their shots from long range, with Giampaolo Ricci making four to finish with 14 points. Meanwhile, Fontecchio ended up with 18 points and six rebounds. Gilas needed to secure a victory by a margin of at least 12 points to progress to the second round.
Instead, the team concluded at the bottom of the group standings and proceeded to the classification round. While the opportunity for a ticket to the Paris Olympics still exists, Gilas faces the crucial task of winning its next two games to boost its chances.
Easier said than done
With South Sudan securing third place, along with China facing a winless record in Group B, these are the two tough opponents that the national team will contend with.
The game against South Sudan initially appeared to be a likely victory for the Sudanese, as they held a commanding 21-point lead at halftime. However, fueled by the spirited support of Filipino fans, Gilas mounted a remarkable comeback, narrowing the deficit to just 4 points after an alley-oop dunk from AJ Edu to Kai Sotto.
Unfortunately, this would mark the final highlight for the squad. Faced with their opponent's tough defense and exceptional shooting, Gilas endured another defeat, with the final score standing at 87-68.
This loss officially eliminated them from Olympic contention and left them still winless, even after a double-double performance by Dwight Ramos and A.J. Edu with 20 points, including 12 rebounds along with 12 points besides 14 boards respectively, and Clarkson adding his own 26 points to a horrendous 9 for 23 in the field.
Chicago Bulls and Sudanese player Carlik Jones almost made history by being the first player to have a triple-double game on the FIBA world stage, finishing one rebound short to end up with an impressive stat of 17 buckets, 9 boards, and 14 dimes.
The Philippines still holds an opportunity to conclude the tournament with a victory. However, their path to achieving this goal is obstructed by a familiar adversary.
Rivalry On And Off The Court
While this game could be labeled as no-bearing for Gilas, a victory could potentially earn them an invitation to the Olympic qualifying tournament. Additionally, the team is determined not to become the first host team since 1982 to go winless.
However, this will be an imposing challenge, as they are pitted against perennial rivals China, led by former McDonald's All-American and Minnesota Timberwolves player Kyle Anderson, also known as Li Kaier. He will also be accompanied by veteran player Zhou Qi, who has experience in both the Olympics and the NBA as a former player of the Houston Rockets.
The match seemed destined to go down the wire by halftime. However, in a stunning turn of events, Jordan Clarkson unleashed a supernova performance in the third quarter, erupting for an astonishing 24 points, pulling up from deep and chucking shots like Stephen Curry.
With this one remarkable quarter, the game swiftly swung in Gilas' favor, taking the ball and running with it, securing their first win in the tournament and their first World Cup stage victory since 2014 against Senegal ending the game with the score of 96-75.
Clarkson capped off his most dominant performance in a Pilipinas jersey, contributing a dominating 34 points. Kai Sotto and Rhenz Abando played pivotal roles in the win, with Kai contributing 12 points and six rebounds, while Rhenz added 14 points and grabbed crucial rebounds.
Following this victory, Gilas secured a spot in the Olympics qualifying tournament, where the final four slots for the Paris Olympics will be contested.
All Ball Nothing Personal
Describing Gilas Pilipinas' run as a disappointment is an understatement. After enduring numerous heartbreaking losses and trials, Filipinos held onto the hope that their journey would culminate in success at the World Cup.
However, reality fell short of expectations, as Gilas encountered many challenges, some within their control and others beyond. It became evident that the limited preparation time posed a significant challenge.
Team chemistry did not reach its optimal level, resulting in instances where players seemed uncertain about play execution. This led to forced shots, defensive lapses, and turnovers. The lack of team cohesion was evident in Gilas' debut game, as Clarkson's eight turnovers often resulted from miscommunication with teammates. This is important, especially for a sport like basketball where collective effort is truly paramount for victory.
Chot Reyes gave his best effort, but there were just too many instances of excessive isolation plays for Jordan Clarkson, leading to criticism of him being a ball-dominant player. There were moments when he appeared to emulate Kobe Bryant by taking on defenders one-on-one and forcing shots even when defenders left him with no space, but instead of a highlight reel shot, it just turned into embarrassing misses.
This occasionally resulted in an offense resembling 1-on-5 play. Moreover, when Clarkson was off the ball, it seemed that Reyes did not fully capitalize on the attention he drew from opposing defenses.
The Philippines also faced difficulties in converting three-pointers, even when presented with open shots. Given their already limited height advantage, the failure to capitalize on long-range attempts significantly hindered their chances of winning games.
The team ranked 27th in 3-point percentage, placing them among the six teams shooting below 30%. Key players known for their shooting prowess, such as Roger Pogoy and Kiefer Ravena, struggled to find their touch, a situation akin to the movie Space Jam where their talent seemed to have been taken away.
The impact of external factors also did not help, as both Kai Sotto and Scottie Thompson entered the tournament not at their 100%, coming off from injuries.
Chot Reyes successfully captured the essence of the entire tournament with his simple statement: “We didn't perform.”
Takeaways
While watching the games, there were visible signs of improvement for the team and some of its players, particularly Abando and Edu. However, these positive developments fell short of what was needed.
Chot Reyes, while not without flaws, has made substantial contributions to Philippine basketball, surpassing the combined efforts of all the naysayers. He deserves recognition for his achievements, but it's clear that change is necessary which was seen after he stepped down after the tournament and is now being succeeded by the PBA's most successful coach, Tim Cone.
This now places Cone in a challenging position of dealing with heightened expectations, leaving the Filipinos eager to see if things will indeed take a turn for the better—a potential transformation that could become evident in the Asian Games.
This now positions Cone in a challenging spot, as he faces elevated expectations, nevertheless, considering the recent success at the Asian Games, where the Philippines clinched the gold after a 60-year gap, the future truly looks bright.
Our national team did not perform the way we thought they would, but still, now is not the moment for negativity but instead for unity and support. It's time for us to display our puso and never-say-die attitude just as the players have done for our country.
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