Webb says homecourt edge boon for Gilas

FREDDIE Webb, a member of the last Philippine squad that played in the Olympics, believes that homecourt edge will be a big factor for Gilas Pilipinas when the Olympic Qualifying Tournament blasts off on July 5.

The former PBA star cautioned everyone, however, to “not expect coach Tab (Baldwin) to be a miracle worker.”

“There’s hardly enough time,” Webb told the Inquirer yesterday. “And we have a donut team, meaning maluwag ang gitna (the middle is porous). We can get away with that in Asia, but (on the world stage), it would be very difficult.

“But if we can manage to stay close in the battle off the boards, we have a chance,” added the former senator. “If they can sacrifice their bodies to fight hard for those defensive rebounds, we have a chance.”

Webb, the heady guard known as “Fastbreak Freddie” during his playing years, was in the 1972 team that beat Japan and Senegal in the Munich Olympics. His teammates were Manny Paner, Yoyong Martirez, Jimmy Mariano, Jun Papa, Ed Ocampo, Tembong Melencio, Narciso Bernardo, Danny Florencio, Bogs Adornado, Marte Samson, Joy Cleofas.

“We were the last of the Mojicans,” Webb said of that group.

He believes that for the Filipinos to have a chance in the July 5 to 10 qualifier, Gilas must be able to hit its outside shots with impunity.

“We will live and die with our outside shots,” Webb said yesterday as Gilas flew out to Europe for a training camp in Greece, a game against the Turkish national team and a pocket tournament in Italy, all in the next 18 days.

Gilas is hoping that Marcio Lassiter, arguably the deadliest outside gun in the PBA, would be able to recover his health to join the team.

Gilas will be playing France and then New Zealand in the first round, needing to win at least one game to advance to the Final Four.

And facing such tall odds, the crowd will be very crucial, Webb said. “When playing on home soil, players don’t care if they get hurt. They know that they will be heroes if they win.”