No more smooth sailing for National 5

It was a foregone conclusion but Gilas Pilipinas turned its domination of the Seaba (Southeast Asian Basketball Association) Championship into a historic occasion as well before an appreciative hometown crowd at Smart Araneta Coliseum last week.

Using the event primarily as an initial workout for a long buildup for a possible stint in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the selection of crack PBA stars aged 30 and under and reinforced for good measure by naturalized player Andray Blatche completed its unprecedented six-game romp by whipping Indonesia, 97-64.

The Filipinos finished the single round event with a winning margin of 58.6 points that is expected to remain unchallenged for years. It was their eight championship in a tournament where they reigned supreme in the past using even just second-string players.

In their first game since they were formed barely two weeks ago, the Nationals crushed Myanmar, 147-40. Then they blasted Singapore, 113-66; smothered Malaysia, 106-51; routed Thailand, 108-53; and overpowered Vietnam, 107-52.

“We have a long journey ahead,” said Gilas coach Chot Reyes after the national five left nothing to chance this time to clinch the lone Seaba slot for the Fiba Asia Cup set August in Lebanon.

From the Fiba Asia Cup, Gilas moves on to the new Asia-Oceania qualifiers in November where the top seven teams plus host China will advance to the 32-squad starting field in the 2019 Fiba World Cup. The best seven World Cup teams then qualify for the 2020 Olympics.

Gilas was earlier drawn with Oceania giant Australia and old Asian rivals Japan and Chinese Taipei in Group B for the first round of the home-and-away qualifiers. The Filipinos have to finish in the top three to reach the second round against their counterparts from Group D where Iran, Kazakhstan, Qatar and Iraq will be playing.

With the 11 Gilas players now returning to their mother clubs for the ongoing PBA Commissioner’s Cup and Blatche’s commitment only up to the Seaba, Reyes said the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) and the PBA would have to decide soon on the composition of the national five in the tougher international events ahead.

It’s all up in the air and we can only hope that the next Gilas’ international campaign would be just as productive and a source of national pride as its last.