Gilas Pilipinas: A cut above the rest

While being mindful of showing their cards (running any FIBA World Cup-meant offensive and defensive sets), Gilas Pilipinas showed everyone watching the recently concluded 2014 PBA All Star Game why this is the ensemble that's Spain-bound later this year.

Unlike last year's meet, Gilas Pilipinas took care of the PBA All Star selection early and never looked back. Resident sniper Jeffrei Chan was at his sharpest, while Marcus Douthit made some key defensive stops to make sure that the message was sent right away.

Gilas Pilipinas isn't clowning around this time.


What impressed us the most is that Gilas didn't really run any particular set. They simply looked like a team that's been together for years, despite adding some new (some old) pieces in Jared Dillinger, Paul Lee and Beau Belga. The team was never threatened, simply because they were riding an invisible wave that just kept on coming despite the PBA All Stars' repeated rallies and spectacular one on one forays (shoutout to Sonny Thoss- who should definitely be a lock for a spot IF he ever decided to suit up for Gilas).

Guys hustled, looked for the open man and made the correct play every single time. Say what you will, but it's pretty obvious that the overall team chemistry of Gilas Pilipinas is on a high.

From the new additions, Dillinger looked like fish off water thanks to his familiarity with Gilas Pilipinas head coach Chot Reyes' system. Belga didn't do much damage, but he's probably on the roster more to toughen up our Gilas bigs Japeth Aguilar and Junemar Fajardo during practices.

With those two out of the way, that leaves us with our idol (not a secret really) Paul Lee.

Lee was given the green light by Coach Chot to play his style of basketball and break down the PBA All Star selections' defense at will. The way Lee was able to slice into the paint and make the game easy for himself and others, he's almost like a slowed down, smarter version of Gilas Pilipinas' resident star (owing to his "Best PG in Asia" FIBA Asia title) Jayson Castro.

That's just scary folks.

Though, when the PBA All Stars started to make their furious rally in the 4th, their coach-- Tim Cone, ran a familiar play to disrupt Lee's effectivity on the floor:

The pick and roll.

There's no other PBA superstar in recent memory who has been tortured time and again by this play than Lee. He was exposed to being a step slower on defense in the PBA Philippine Cup Finals just a few weeks back, and when Coach Tim had enough and asked his boys to run the P&R, well, it didn't look pretty for Lee (there was that and-1 play on him when he failed to run after PJ Simon on a baseline screen).

On the bright side, Coach Tim knew how to play Lee because he's seen him time and again. The World? Not so much.

As much as we love L.A. Tenorio, being that the guy is a generous 5"7, he needs to give his spot to Lee. Ditto with Larry Fonacier whose spot (if not Gary David's) was always meant for Dillinger (pre-accident, pre-trade to Meralco).

Belga?

We love Belga, ever since his enforcer ways back in PCU. But yeah, he's better off as the team's bigs' sparring partner unless he 1) develops an appetite for crashing the boards or 2) Aguilar/ Pingris/ De Ocampo are hit with injuries and Thoss still not available (which we pray will never EVER be the case).

Laban Pilipinas!

PUSO!