#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?

Don't call it a comeback

Danny Ildefonso has found a new home in the PBA.

The former two-time PBA Most Valuable Player, now near the twilight of his illustrious basketball career, was left homeless early in the on-going PBA Philippine Cup after his team of xx years-- the Petron Blaze Boosters (former San Miguel Beermen) decided not to renew his contract. To his rescue are the Boosters' umbrella corporation rivals, Team Manny V. Pangilinan by way of the Meralco Bolts which were lacking in skilled, post players.

In a match seemingly made in heaven, Ildefonso had a successful debut last Saturday for the Bolts (winning 92-88 in overtime over the Air21 Express) finishing with 14 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists on top of setting brilliant screens and picks for his shooters and just working like the skilled veteran he is off-the-ball.

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."

SMART Gilas: The Filipino Dream

This is a public call-to-action for the country's premier basketball players. There are other sports out there (football is thankfully ever-growing around these parts) that also deserves our attention, but because this is a basketball blog, made by a basketball fan and a Filipino first, let this serve as a reminder as to why we should send and see only the best available talent there is.

When people clamor for your inclusion into a "select team," it is a recognition of your efforts, your accomplishments and the inspiration that you are able to share to Filipinos—rich or poor. That when you work hard enough, you are going to be appreciated (rewarded is a given, since these are professional athletes we are talking about) and adored by the people around you.

Gary David is no LeBron. And he shouldn't be.

He shoots. They follow.

While this writer strictly adheres to his own "No NBA" policy (because "there are other, more interested men" as said by Thomas Wayne on Batman Begins. And seriously, who needs another NBA blogger when we have friends like Voltaire Lozada who's one of the under-rated yet rising minds out there?), let's just use the high and mighty, 3x NBA Most Valuable Player LeBron James to better quantify or argue for/against the perceived reputation among fans/haters of one Gary David.

What uniform he'll be donning by next season is up in the air, but this we all know for sure-- he'll definitely be suiting up for PILIPINAS this coming FIBA Asia tournament. He will also be expected to provide the outside shooting opposite Smart Gilas 2 teammate Jeffrei Chan of the Rain or Shine. Now, the thing that has grown bothersome/ tiresome really is some fans perception of David as being a glorified ballhog. To the point that they've made fun of Mico Halili's "El Granada" moniker and changed it to "El Buwaya."