FIBA OQT: Turkey’s ’12 Giant Men’ big threat to Gilas’ Rio bid

FILE—New Zealand’s forward Casey Frank (L) vies with Turkey’s centre Omer Asik during the 2014 FIBA World basketball championships group C match New Zealand vs Turkey at the Bizkaia Arena in Bilbao on August 30, 2014. AFP PHOTO/ ANDER GILLENEA / AFP PHOTO / ANDER GILLENEA

A couple of hours before the face-off between the Philippines and world No. 5 France at the start of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament on July 5 at the Mall of Asia Arena, inaugural action will fire off when No. 8 Turkey and No. 26 Canada draw the curtains in the OQT that will decide which of six teams gets passage to Rio de Janeiro in August.

Notwithstanding the enormity of the task at hand, with France to be led by NBA superstar Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs, it should not come as a surprise if Gilas Pilipinas assistant coaches, if not head mentor Tab Baldwin himself, spend two quarters scouting the Turks and Canadians.

The Nationals’ bid to book a ticket to the Olympic Games will depend not only on beating the French but also on downing either Turkey or Canada – or both.

Gilas Pilipinas, ranked No. 28 in the world, is bracketed with France and New Zealand in Group B of the Manila OQT and will have to get past one of them, at least, to gain more than a 50 percent chance of advancing to the crossover semifinals.

Beating both will set up the Philippines for a semis clash with the No. 2 team from Group A – comprised of Turkey, Canada and Senegal, the team Gilas edged in overtime in the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Seville, Spain two years ago.

Showing up in the semis with a 1-1 slate, on the other hand, will range Baldwin’s Boys with, most likely, the 2-0 team from Group A.

That, in all probability, will be Turkey.

And looming tall and imposing over that highly-regarded EuroBasket powerhouse is New Orleans Pelicans center Omer Asik, a 7-0 rim protector who was sixth in shot blocks in the 2014 World Cup where Turkey nipped Australia, 65-64, in the Round of 16 before getting upended by Lithuania, 73-61, in the quarterfinals.

Asik averaged 9.9 points and 8.4 rebounds in Bilbao and Barcelona.

At eighth overall in the FIBA rankings, only the United States, Spain, Lithuania, Argentina, France, Serbia and Russia stand above the Turks, making their game against the Canadians a must-see for former national coaches like Norman Black and Jong Uichico, both on Baldwin’s staff.

Turk coach Ergin Ataman has submitted a 15-man roster:

Semih Erden – 6’11 – F/C
Furkan Korkmaz – 6’7 – G/F
Cedi Osman – 6’7 – F
Omer Asik – 7’0 – C
Samet Geyik – 6’8 – F
Melih Mahmutoglu – 6’3 – G
Oguz Savas – 6’9 – F
Dogus Balbay – 6’1 – G
Sinan Guler – 6’4 – G
Ali Muhammed (Bobby Dixon) – 5’10 – G
Kenan Sipahi – 6’4 – G
Birkan Batuk – 6’5 – G
Baris Hersek – 6’6 – F

If it is any consolation, Turkey will be without Orlando Magic forward Ersan Ilyasova, who is focusing on renewing his NBA contract, and center Furkan Aldemir, sidelined by a groin injury.

Broad-shouldered forward Erden will be Turkey’s No. 2 offensive force after Asik and is an integral member of the team’s vaunted Twelve Giant Men, who terrorized Europe’s biggest competition last year.

Though still two games away from a projected collision with Turkey come opening day, Gilas Pilipinas nevertheless can benefit from early surveillance and an immediate plan of action, what with the Nationals hampered by a relatively smaller ceiling and a less heftier bulk.

The bigger they are, the harder they fall. Gilas Pilipinas should have this in mind when they finally come face-to-face with the behemoths from Turkey.