I know, I know. This is a tad too late regarding the Gilas 2.0 pool. It has been what? Three weeks? Or less? That’s how you know I did not like the selection. Or rather, the proposed plan for an otherwise successful basketball program by the country in decades. But it really eats at me. The pool, the selection, the proposed new course of plan is a complete load of bull.
Chot Reyes as the head coach? While I may not be vocal about his methods as a coach, I do not like his system. Well, if there was a system to begin with. He relies on the talent of his players alone. That’s a bad thing. And it has been proven during his last handling of the national team that it is an experiment that spelled disaster. Why are we suddenly going for a professional coach who is better suited at the professional level than settling for a teacher of the game who unevitably will make us inch closer to that Olympic basketball dream? The former Gilas coach, Rajko Toroman, himself a teacher of the game, has proven worthy. Actually, teachers are proven at the international level. The last being Mike Kryzewzski of Duke. It would have been a more logical choice to have Ateneo Blue Eagles coach Norman Black at the helm rather than a professional coach.
Another is, here we go again with professional players donning the national colors. While that may not necessarily be a bad thing, these PBA players do not have the ample time to develop the right chemistry, rhythm and whatnot compared to the tightness of the Gilas 1.0 crew who are really considered a unit down to the 12th man. The last pro national squad we had that placed significantly? That was way, way back in Ron Jacobs’ time as coach. Chot Reyes’ own version? It was a disaster. The gunslingers did not stick to the plan, they jacked up and loaded up jumper after jumper that might make even Roider Cabrera sick. And when you have Mick “Yoda of Flop” Pennisi as part of the group, wow, you really have a personnel problem. Sure they may be buddies off the court, but that doesn’t translate as to how they will play on it. And mind you, the last time Arwind Santos went on a national tour of duty, he sucked big time. Disinterest was in his face, the effort wasn’t there, he was totally out of it when he could’ve helped out and win us some costly games, no matter if we were in the Group of Death.
Why don’t we just stick to the plan of using college stars who are willing to be part of a team (no, not Calvin Abueva) and be taught basketball by a teacher? Sure the talent level of the Sinag Pilipinas team’s opponents are really patsies, but that’s the blueprint right there. They meshed so well. They willingly learned from Norman Black and his system. That should be Gilas 2.0 with a slew of PBA reinforcements! In fact, that IS Gilas 2.0!
But no, we have to ride on Chot’s coat-tails once more and pray (so hard) that this time he gets it right. Imagine the Sinag guys with say, a Macmac Cardona, Gabe Norwood, Marcio Lassiter and Chris Lutz reinforcements. Imagine the Sinag guys, especially Greg Slaughter and Junmar Fajardo beasting it out there as part of the continued improvement and steady development under the watchful eyes of Norman Black. Imagine what they can do, with a developed Arnold Van Opstal and steady Norbert Torres. That can do a lot of damage, they really can. But I do not know.
I’m not the boss or the one calling the shots. I’m just a passing analyst wannabe who wants the best for our basketball program and not go the NBA route, because quite frankly, those guys can really win on talent alone what with their height and all. Us? We have to do it like the rest of the world. Have a true national team that trains, sleeps, eats and lives with each other. That’s how they caught up to the grand daddies of basketball. Let’s try to emulate them, not be too dazed by the bright stars of the NBA.
Just saying.