The Blueprint

Photo credit: ESPN.com

In 2008, Gilas Pilipinas was officially unveiled by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) led by some of the country's most optimistic and brilliant basketball minds. They recruited top college basketball stars led by Chris Tiu and JVee Casio, they sought out foreign-based prodigies like Marcio Lassiter and Chris Lutz, and offered a home for the then NBA-seeking 6"9 wunderkind Japeth Aguilar.

They also brought in Rajko Toroman, fresh from helping reshape the Iranian Men's Basketball Team into an Asian Basketball Powerhouse, to serve as the team's initial head coach. The team was backed by SBP and SMART Telecommunications, Inc., which meant that it did not have to reach out to the Philippine Basketball Association, its' teams, or the many "Godfathers" if you will, since they already have a big time player in the mix, one, Mr. Manny V. Pangilinan.

#ThankYouKuyaMarcus

Gilas I is Douthit
(Photo credit to PhilStar.com)

For all the on and off court success enjoyed by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas' Gilas men's basketball program, we wouldn't fault the casual fan if they thought that it has always been this way form the very start.

Because quite honestly, it wasn't.

It took the addition of 6"11 US NCAA Division 1 standout Marcus Douthit of the Providence College Friars to get the program going from "just another basketball team" to "Asian basketball powerhouse" somewhere around 2009 to 2010.

See, the Gilas program was initially meant to do away with hastily forming a PBA All Star team whenever an international meet would come up. Most of the players who signed up for the program were fresh out of college: Mark Barroca, JVee Casio, Dylan Ababou, Mac Baracael and Chris Tiu. They then added some more names such as Japeth Aguilar, Marcio Lassiter and Chris Lutz, but overall they were a bunch of snot-nosed college kids being asked to reclaim Asian basketball supremacy for the Philippines-- even if they were coached by Serbian Rajko Toroman.

Quite the tall order, really.

#TankSoHard

Too good to be tanking, yes?
(Photo courtesy of Sports5)

The best thing to ever happen to Blackwater Elite's Marcus Douthit this PBA Governor's Cup, is the 2015 South East Asian Games where he is on loan to the Gilas Pilipinas team.

That's it.

Is he (still) paying for the sins of that disastrous post FIBA World Gilas stint in Korea? Wherein he bore the brunt of the blame, for being unable to do an Andray Blatche and basically carry a fatigued and injury-riddled team to a medal finish? Why on earth did he sign up with the Elite in the first place? Oh, yeah, the Team MVP ties which is becoming as clear as the team's bootleg Talk'n'Text jerseys.

We feel that Leo Isaac can coach in the PBA. We feel that Douthit (43 mpg 2- ppg 13 rpg 3 apg) still has some gas left in the tank.

Seven foot syndrome

Land of the Giants
(Photo courtesy of Sports5)

There used to be a period in the Philippine Basketball Association wherein foreign reinforcements were hired mostly for their high-flying, prolific scoring and ultraelectromagnetic athleticism ways.

Nowadays?

We are seeing less and less of the pure "scorers" and more of the seven foot kind-- a testament to how far local basketball talent has come, and where we are currently left lacking.

Sure, there are 6"5 imports running around the league nowadays who are more do-it-all than gunslingers, but all eyes will always be given to the 7"0 specimens-- be it from the fans, media and even (and more importantly) opposing PBA teams.

A new day

#ThankYouGilas

A runner-up finish in the 2012 FIBA Asia championships, a Jones Cup title, a lonesome yet historic victory in the 2014 FIBA World Cup and finally, a seventh-place finish in the SouthEast Asian Games...

... and with that, Gilas Pilipinas-- from head coach Chot Reyes to the defiant and valiant captain Jimmy Alapag, is no more. Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas' (SBP) President Manny V. Pangilinan announced it just recently, that we will no longer see this version of the Philippines' Men's Basketball Team lovingly called "Gilas." Others have gone on to social media to express their thoughts. Some call it a travesty, an over-reaction to the Asiad debacle. Others say that it's been a long time coming and perhaps, another camp (Team San Miguel Corporation) should take charge.

Whatever it may be, know that this is not a dark day in Philippine basketball but rather a bright one.

Winning (and losing) with dignity

Under fire: Gilas head coach Chot Reyes
(Photo courtesy of InterAKTV)

The public outrage on Gilas Pilipinas head coach Chot Reyes, for his failure to lead Gilas Pilipinas to a medal finish in the recently concluded 2014 Asian Games, is indeed unfair, yet also well-deserved.

Defenders of the five-time PBA Coach of the Year awardee are quick to point out how "well" his team did in the also recently concluded 2014 FIBA World Cup (considering we finished with a 1 win, 4 losses record), citing that there's little the fashion-forward coach could do given the fact that the tools at his disposal-- his players, are either hurt or exhausted. However, the two other Asian teams that went to Spain with Gilas (Iran and Korea) fielded an even more intact line-up while we added new reinforcements: Marcus Douthit and Jarred Dillinger.

The offensive and defensive sets, one cannot argue that Gilas ran and stuck to the game plan to a "T." Did they tire themselves out of games in the first 3 and a half quarters much like they did in Spain? Probably. Did the team let opponents come storming back in by playing a deliberate, fast paced, game of runs offense that often found Coach Chot Reyes not calling for a timeout and instead having his players weather the proverbial storm?

#Puso

A win and two losses.

Gilas Pilipinas needs to win their remaining assignments (while hoping for the very best) in the ongoing 2014 Asian Games basketball tournament after losing back to back games in two straight days. How quickly this team gets its act together and move on from all the internal strife and drama will ultimately determine if #Puso is a proud battle cry or just another clever marketing campaign (that’s being milked until the mythical cow’s utters bleed dry IMHO).

How did we get here? Why are people going on lengthy Twitter threads about Gilas’ coaches and or players? Why does Gilas head coach Chot Reyes almost, always throw his wards under the bus after bad games—feelings, mental stability and focus be damned?

The win over India was expected. They’re a young, promising team that’s built on length and shooting but maybe a few more tournaments away from doing some real damage. The loss against Iran was painful because we were so close to actually exorcising our Haddadi demons.

But this one, against Qatar, well, let’s go back to the Iran game first shall we?

Gilas Pilipinas' defense takes spotlight vs Asia's Best

Gilas Pilipinas' Junemar Fajardo
in 2014 Asian Games action
(Photo courtesy of Conzace)

Gilas Pilipinas forward Marc Pingris and naturalized center Marcus Douthit battle for possession against an Indian defender in Tuesday’s 2014 Asian Games action in Incheon South Korea. The Filipinos dominated the Indian squad, 85-76, to book their first win of the tournament.

Fresh from the rousing success of notching the Philippines’ first win in 40 years in the FIBA World Cup, Gilas Pilipinas takes on yet another formidable task as it squares up against Asia’s elite basketball squads at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea.

Focus immediately shifted on how Gilas Pilipinas’ defensive tenacity will translate to wins and eventually advance the entire nation’s dreams of capturing a gold medal at the Asian Games. This came shortly after the Filipino squad kicked off their Asiad campaign with an 85-76 demolition of India last Tuesday. Once again, the team showcased its patented #LabanKungLaban defense, as it torched the opposition from the opening buzzer and never looked back until the final seconds of the match to book its first win.

The Unknown

Will he play with PUSO?
(Photo courtesy of SolarSportsDesk.Ph)

"The boys may not be afraid yet, but we're getting a bad feeling. This passage, with its "decaying coconuts" and forest "darkness" hints that nasty things are on the way. No wonder the littluns start freaking out." - excerpt from "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding

The unknown and our fear of it is the "darkness" that we speak of, of the "nasty things" being on its way.

As Gilas Pilipinas flies out West to Miami, Florida to train for the coming FIBA World Cup tournament to be held in Spain, there's a lingering sense of doubt among fans. Realistically speaking, no one is expecting a podium finish this time around. Logic dictates that our team can win a game or two at best, but overcoming the powerhouse European teams and America might be a little out of the question.

The sense of the unknown or doubt, comes by way of one Andray Blatche. The man who is being touted as our new hero, to replace the one that has spent the last four or five years bringing us back to Asian basketball contention-- Marcus Douthit.

Ang Angas ng Pilipinas

Hindi lang ito tungkol kay Paul Lee, na siyang nag hatid sa Pilipinas ng kauna unahang  medalya ng bansa sa FIBA Asia Cup na ginanap sa Wuhan, China kontra sa home team.

Tungkol ito kay head coach Chot Reyes at sa mga players na sina L.A. Tenorio, Kevin Alas, Garvo Lanete, Gary David, Jared Dillinger, Jay Washington, Japeth Aguilar, Ranidel de Ocampo, Beau Belga, Junemar Fajardo at Marcus Douthit.

May mga pagkakataon na parang hindi naka angkla sa panalo ang koponang binansagan natin na Gilas Pilipinas. Minsan, parang naglolokohan lang sila. Minsan, parang wala ung kumpyansa at tiwala sa sarili. Minsan, parang payag sila na matalo na lang ng basta basta at isugal ang pangalan ng bansa.

Papunta naman na tayo ng Espanya, bakit pa nga ba magpapakahirap?

Sinag Shines Through

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!
(Photo courtesy of Spin.ph)

Before you readily dismiss Sinag Pilipinas’ 2013 Southeast Asian Games (held in the “you can actually hear the crickets on live television” empty Zayar Thiri Stadium in Myan Mar) gold medal in the men’s basketball tournament as something of a birthright, rest assured that it was no easy task for everyone involved.

Already a given is the pressure to win it all, brought about by our continued dominance of the sport this side of Asia. Adding to that is the way we fully expect this team not just to win—but to flat our send a message and obliterate the competition by winning by AT LEAST TWENTY POINTS.

Unfair? Unreasonable?

Widening the Gap

Dating back to the inclusion of the sport of basketball in the South East Asian Games in 1977,  the Philippines has successfully brought home the gold medal in every single edition held save for 1989 wherein we lost to host country Malaysia (2005 was held in the Philippines but scrapped owing to our FIBA suspension while in 2009 Indonesia nixed the sport due to lack of facilities).

So there is some truth when Filipinos proudly declare that the country is the "Kings of Southeast Asian Basketball."

Mi sueno Espanol

Durant vs Norwood. 2014 FIBA World.
If we're lucky. Or unlucky.
(Photo lifted from the Internet)

A year from now, twenty four teams from all over the world will take part in what promises to be the most spectacular basketball event in recent memory—if only because our very own, newly-minted FIBA Asia silver medalists Gilas Pilipinas will take the Spanish hardcourts with the very best.

We’re talking about none other than the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup (formerly FIBA World Champsionship). As of press time, already qualified are USA (Olympics), Spain (host country), Australia and New Zealand (representing FIBA-Oceana which, you guessed it, only has two teams to speak of), and of course the Asian finalists: Iran, Philippines (that’s us) and Korea.

So what are our chances, really?

Pilipinas to the (FIBA) World

His name is Jean Marc Pingris.
(Photo courtesy of InterAKTV)

Now is not the time for what ifs and showing people up. It's not about who stuck with Gilas Pilipinas right from the start and who didn't. Gilas Pilipinas head coach Chot Reyes, after our sweet victory over longtime tormentors Korea, went on record to "forgive" all the haters. It is not the time to hate.

It is the time to DREAM.

When Korea came storming back in the 4th quarter, there was a sudden hush heard all throughout the SM Mall of Asia Arena. It was 2011 all over again. Or the FIBA Asia before that. Or the one prior. All the way back to 1986 and maybe even longer. Forget trying to get over the "Great Wall," it's Korea that has seemingly broken our hearts over and over again with booming triples and their drive and kick game which is arguably on some sort of ninja mastery passed through generations.

But then the crowd started cheering, egging our Gilas players who were already without Marcus Douthit to keep on pushing. They believed. We believed. They were up one. But Jimmy Alapag was on the floor. He of the many Gilas heartbreaks the last decade or so. He was with friends. He was before family. There was no way he'd go down without a fight.

Here comes the BOOM

Locked and loaded.
(Photo courtesy of PBA InterAKTV)

As though mimicking a used FPJ-storyline in which the valiant hero gets his ass-handed to him early by the bigger, moustached-wearing baddie before finally serving up an ass-whopping of his own, Gary David has finally come through for Gilas Pilipinas in the ongoing FIBA Asia tournament at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

It took a lot of missed shots and gimmes, constant cheering from the Arena crowd never before heard of not since the days of the legendary Sonny Jaworski, Sr. and most of all- patience for David to finally lay claim as the team's chief gunner on the floor. Making up for lost time, David was in a clear rhythm right off the bat (22 points, 4/6 on 3s) , knocking down contested and uncontested threes, driving to the rim and just having this air of confidence in him that was missing the last few days.

Gilas is No Iran

Someone finally caught up with The Blur
(photo courtesy of Interaksyon.com)

With the FIBA Asia Group E top seed already secured (thanks to manna from heaven a.k.a. Qatar winning over Chinese Taipei, 71-68), Gilas Pilipinas only had to play up to its standards to dispose of an outmatched Hong Kong team that is already on its way out of the tournament.

Only it didn't.

True, Gilas still won 67-55, but not in the manner that everyone thought, hell, KNEW, they would. Here's a team (HK) that's being constantly blown out by their opponents since the start of the tournament. Now, we see them hauling down rebounds (Duncan Reid with 12 points and a game best 19 rebounds) and knocking uncontested three pointers to take early leads. To say that it was mind-boggling would be an understatement.

Gilas puts Jarvis Hayes, Qatar on Lockdown

Photo courtesy of Philip Sison

So much for Qatar's undefeated FIBA Asia campaign.

Gilas Pilipinas brought the Qataris back to earth with a dominant performance of their own, leading the entire night and just putting on the pressure. Be it points coming from Marcus Douthit, long bombs c/o Jeffrei Chan, Gary David finally deciding to join the fun or Japeth Aguilar turning the game into his personal resource for a future YouTube mix tape, Gilas was not going to be denied.

We needed the win because we can't allow the Group E leaders, Qatar and Japan, to break away. We needed the win to continue to validate the whole Gilas basketball program and show its worth versus top tier competition. We needed the win because hey, this is the Philippines and basketball games mean as much to us as life itself.

Back in harness

Photo courtesy of TeamPilipinas.nfo

After a heart breaking loss to Chinese Taipei, Gilas Pilipinas knew that its breathing room or margin of error just got smaller. It was with this mentality that they took to last night's drubbing of the proud Japanese team, scoring at will and working both ends of the floor non-stop.

Leading the charge and ultimately setting the tone was center Marcus Douthit. He was aggressive right from the opening buzzer, demanding for the basketball and just shooting over counterpart reinforcement JR Sakuragi and Joji Takeuchi. This was the Douthit that we were accustomed to, not the 12 and 10 one we saw in the first rounds who was happy to just wait for his turn in the offense. From jumpshots to jumphooks, Douthit was relentlessly attacking which helped open up the floor for Gilas.

Where's Our Daddy?

Photo courtesy of The Philippine Star

Big Daddy Marcus Eugene Douthit that is.

Three games into the FIBA Asia 2013 and it seems clear that we are not looking at the same Marcus Douthit of Gilas Pilipinas past. Averaging 12 points and 10 rebounds, Douthit needs to be more assertive in the paint if we are to make it through the next rounds and even win over top tier competition.

Gilas wins over KSA; fails to impress

A win's a win for Gilas Pilipinas

Debuting before a lazy yet good-sized drizzly Thursday FIBA Asia crowd, Gilas Pilipinas managed to salvage a 78-66 win over the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This, after powerhouse Iran flexed its muscles with a dominant 90-point win earlier in the day.

So we didn't blow the Arabs out of the murky Manila Bay waters. Hell, we could barely make enough shots to ensure that we save face and not lose the support of the home crowd which were expecting a Manny Pacquiao vs Ricky Hatton style blowout. But as team captain and spiritual leader Jimmy Alapag said in one of his post-game interviews, "a win's a win."