Coach Chot Reyes is happy at the way things are shaping up for Gilas-Pilipinas in its preparations for the Fiba Asia Championship and hopes that the team will hit 100-percent form when the tournament hits its knockout stages.
“We may be 90 percent by Aug. 1 (the tournament opening),” Reyes said. “I think we’re 60 percent ready now. And hopefully, we’ll hit 100 percent during the tournament.”
The Nationals fly to New Zealand on July 9 for a 10-day stint that would simulate the Fiba Asia schedule where the Philippines plays three straight games twice in a seven-day span to complete its preliminary-round assignments.
The New Zealand stint would make the Nationals busy in the runup to the Fiba Asia after Taiwan, furious over the killing of a fisherman by Filipino coastguards in May, opted not to invite the squad to defend its Jones Cup title.
The visiting Filipinos play their last game against the New Zealand national team on July 18.
Reyes said the players developed camaraderie during their Lithuania training and have adjusted to his “dribble-drive” philosophy.
“We hope to come home about 85 percent ready,” the mentor said.
The Aug. 1 to 11 tournament, slated at Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay and Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila, will reward the top three finishers slots in the World Championship in Madrid next year.
The Philippines is bracketed with Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Chinese Taipei in Group A in the Asian event. The Filipinos debut against the Saudis on Aug. 1, play the Jordanians next, and then face the Taiwanese last in the first phase.
The Nationals would need to finish at least in the top two of the two-phase preliminaries to be able to avoid an early clash with either China or Iran and hopefully meet the two powerhouses only in the Final Four.
As a privilege for hosting the 16-nation event, the Philippines was allowed to pick its group.
South Korea and Malaysia join China and Iran in Group C—the so-called “Group of Death.” Only three teams from each group advance to the second round of the preliminaries.