OF THE three top-seeded teams in the ongoing Fiba Asia championship in China, only the Philippines advances to the next round with a blemished record. Not a simple rash, a black-eye, in fact.
Defending champion Iran and resurgent powerhouse China are unbeaten; the Philippines is 2-1 going into today’s second round.
After an embarassing first-day loss to tournament first-timer Palestine, the Philippines swept its remaining preliminary assignments, against Hong Kong and Kuwait, with overwhelming one-sided results.
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These two victories were celebrated by many Filipino fans, including certain members of the local media present in the Changsha tournament, as though the nightmare against Palentine could only serve as timely wake-up call: The relentless wins redeemed Gilas Pilipinas, and erased every bit of doubt.
As for national coach Tad Bladwin, who had said before they left Manila that Gilas would be ready to take control and dominate, he claimed they now know better.
Baldwin also said they saw what they needed to see, learned what they have to know.
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Baldwin failed to state if he knew where they were headed next .
The second round of the continental Olympic qualifying tournament has Gilas Pilipinas grouped with Japan, Iran and India.
The Philippine national team faces these three, one after the other, in that order, starting today.
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Of course, Gilas Pilipinas need not be reminded about the great dangers lying in the next round.
Premier guard Jason Castro has stepped up as Gilas’ take-charge guy.
Naturalized Gilas center Andray Blatche said they’ve got to execute better than they did in the preliminary round.
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Said Blatche: “I am worried about us, worried about how we come out and play, execute.”
Blatche did not specify, but he was definitely also worried about himself.
Reason: There was nothing of the amazing NBA veteran, who had starred for Gilas Pilipinas in last year’s Fiba World Cup, in any of the games his outfit has thus far played in the China tournament.
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Blatche was in the game against Palestine only in the first quarter, which he dominated—soaring, rebounding, scoring—to lead Gilas to an early 16-point lead.
He was caught napping during at least two crucial tussles under the Palestine basket, and yielded two offensive boards that were readily converted.
Visibly fagged out in the final minutes, he was caught huffing on far left court, from where he fired a desperate slow-rising three-pointer that was deflected.
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With his underwhelming result against Palestine, Blatche, looking trim but definitely not fully recovered from the crash weight reduction he had to undergo, was fielded sparingly in the games against Hong Kong and Kuwait.
It’s like this: Blatche, who should have started a weight loss regimen ahead, failed to play for Gilas in the Jones Cup. He was with the team in Taipei but had to fly back home due to the death of a beloved uncle.
He did return to Manila and played in the MVP Cup where he was described, no thanks to a bloated tummy, as though on the family way.
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It’s no secret how Blatche had been made to lose more than 20 pounds in a ten-day period, capped by the secluded build-up camp in Cebu, in time for the Fiba Asia tournament.
As one sports medicine expert would confide, Blatche could’ve prospered and peaked properly, if the weight reduction had been done gradually, with competent medical assistance.
The effects of the merciless weight cut, the expert said, could be severely debilitating as an unplanned abortion.