Same RP cagers to Asia FIBA in Beijing?

With a low 2-6/win-loss stat, the near doormat ignominy of Powerade-Pilipinas national cagers in the 31st William Jones Cup in Taiwan was a disaster; a telling letdown dimming any hope for Asian FIBA Olympic berth in London.

One saw on tv the RP games against Chinese-Taipei A, later versus Kazakhstan, also the Japan five, Lebanon, Chinese Taipei B, and against Jordan defending champs. Only against Kazakhstan and Chinese-Taipei B did Powerade eke out wins. The Philippine hoopsters didn’t know how to win as most of their losses were not won by their foes, but lost by them.

And that’s not a riddle either, or a fatuous joke… The best example was the RP-Japan almost-won-game that Japan didn’t win but Coach Yeng Guiao and his boyscouts mismanaged to lose. Leading 19 points at halftime, and by 12 points after the third, thereafter Powerade played like in high school intramurals, disintegrated on careless individual and stupid offense and no defense. What started with a bang, ended in shameful whimper.

If it were a spinning top, or a flying kite (“banugbanug”), the RP plays were too tottering (“karagan”) or wobbly spate of errors and ball turnovers. Point guard Willie Miller played for the paltry Pinoy fans by “hogging” the ball, but crowded by umbrella keyhole defense, couldn’t make a decent drop pass or outlet feed to any teammate. His too much razzle-dazzle dribbling resulted in illegal travel or plain steals by his guard. As self-appointed “go to guy”, Miller literally “owned” the ball, instead of being a playmaker.

But the goat in the Japan game was Kerby Raymundo who was hounded by shot misses, traveling, and un-Raymundo moves. James Yap also did the same errors and his “open look” shots missed by a mile often. Anthony Helterbrand, Ryan Dillinger, and Cyrus Baguio raced around the court with hardly any accuracy for the basket even in high percentage shots.

Against Chinese-Taipei-B, the RP towed the hosts. Suddenly, some three minutes at the tail-end, the CT-B team’s all-court press resulted in steals, or turnovers. On their ball possession, CT-B defied the keyhole Pinoy defense for easy baskets, or accurately canned 3’s from the arc.

Coach Guiao’s ability as coach was put in question. His substitutions worsened the situation, like, Asi Taulava coming from the cold and committed a series of blunders – missing 4 consecutive foul throws, missing undergoal stabs, missing to catch an outlet pass resulting in a turnover. It was just plain “swerte” that Powerade licked CT-B by 4 points.

It was a conceded game against defending champion Jordan. Taller, heftier, more experienced, and more consistent, ‘twas a surprise that Powerade put up a decent fight in the first quarter; both in offense and defense, with Asi Taulava at anchor. However, one can’t explain why or how the Pinoys suddenly wilted, as in dried up inexplicably thereafter.

Like in other games, Coach Yeng Guiao stood stoically at the sideline with inscrutable look, as if imperturbably following the game on the floor. But then, Guiao could have been in stupor or virtually asleep, as he didn’t call timely time-outs, or shout and gesture instructions, or whatever needed adjustments.

Filipino basketball fans who follow the game at home, like, the PBA, or lesser commercial leagues, or the much-improved collegiate circuits, do not understand the inept games of Powerade-Pilipinas at the Jones Cup… There are now taller and more skilled cagers, many of whom are Fil-Ams, say, Jophet “JP” Aguilar, JD Norwood, Sonny Thoss, and Williams, plus taller hoopsters in college with potentials.

Unless the RP squad be honed and improved, including its head coach and training staff, and properly disciplined, let’s not embarrass ourselves again by sending the same RP team to Asia FIBA in Beijing.

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