MANILA, Philippines - Smart Gilas Team Pilipinas plays three tune-up games with Qatar and Jordan starting today, hoping the series will help the team mainstays to jell with comebacking aces with a week to go before the start of the 26th FIBA Asia championship in Wuhan, China.
Talk n Text stalwarts Kelly Williams, Jimmy Alapag and Ranidel de Ocampo join the Nationals as they test their mettle versus the Qataris in their 7 p.m. friendly at The Arena in San Juan.
Smart Gilas takes on Jordan Saturday then once again Qatar on Sunday in the same venue.
“It’s not a matter of laying down cards. It’s a matter of preparing the team for FIBA Asia,” said Smart Gilas coach Rajko Toroman, emphasizing it’s not going to be a serious battle.
“We have three players who have joined us. We have to develop chemistry among the players that we have now,” Toroman also said.
Williams and Alapag have just joined the Nationals since they opted to first help Talk n Text in a bid to achieve a PBA grand slam. De Ocampo is a late addition, taking over from Dondon Hontiveros.
They practically have only a week to train with the Nationals for the Asian joust, which fires off Sept. 15.
The Nationals open their FIBA Asia campaign versus the United Arab Emirates on opening day. They play China the next day then Bahrain on the 17th.
Qatar and Jordan will give Smart Gilas good tests since both are considered medal contenders in the Asian meet.
The Jordanians, starring naturalized combo guard Rasheim Wright, narrowly missed the last FIBA Asia finals. They beat Lebanon for third place to salvage a ticket to the 2010 World Championship in Turkey.
Qatar features a team led by the slam-dunking Tanguy Ngombo who was picked at No. 57 overall by the Dallas Mavericks in the recent NBA draft. Ngombo was later trade to the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Qataris and the Filipinos met twice in the last Asian Games in Guangzhou, China. The Filipinos won their elimination-round encounter but the Qataris got even in the playoffs.