Sinag 5 still working on chemistry - Tiu

MANILA, Philippines - Sinag Pilipinas is very competitive with its individual talents but has to build on chemistry four days before playing its first game in the 26th SEA Games basketball men’s competition at the Britama SportMal in Kelapa Gading, Jakarta.

That’s the observation of Chris Tiu, the lone holdover of the Philippine team that saw the oppositions in the last SEABA championship that served as qualifying event for the 2011 FIBA Asia Championship in Wuhan, China.

“This team can still beat our Southeast Asian neighbors pero baka hindi tambakan (but probably not by a rout). The problem is that we’re struggling to jell since we’ve been training for only three weeks,” said Tiu.

“The team still lacks cohesion but I can say that we’re improving,” the former Ateneo deadshot added.

The Nationals have played four tune-up matches, playing Cebuana Lhuillier to a tie, yielding to San Miguel Beer-Pilipinas and to Cobra before finally winning one in its rematch with SMB-Pilipinas.

“The team is really strong with its individual talents but is struggling to find chemistry,” said Tiu.

Tiu said the team has the ceiling, quickness and shooting.

Coach Norman Black has in his pool Tiu, seven-foot center Greg Slaughter, Jake Pascual, Chris Ellis, Garvo Lanete, Emman Monfort, Cliff Hodge, Bobby Ray Parks, RR Garcia, Kiefer Ravena, Nico Salva, Jeric Fortuna, Jeric Teng and Justin Chua.

They have been trying to insert San Beda star David Marcelo and it’s uncertain whether he can still be accommodated.

With the lineup that they have, Tiu said they could well dominate the field if they have gotten enough training together.

What’s going with the Nationals is a favorable grouping.

The squad is tipped to top Group A where it is slated to play Cambodia Monday, Vietnam on Tuesday and Thailand the next day before the crossover semis and gold medal match.

 Expected to advance from the other group are Indonesia and Malaysia.

 “Indonesia and Malaysia are pretty solid. They are experienced teams. Malaysia even reached the second round of the recent FIBA Asia,” Tiu noted.