NATIONAL mentor Yeng Guiao firmly believes the Powerade-RP Team would have a good chance in Tianjin if it turns deadly from beyond the three-point arc.

The “3,” Guiao thought, would be the key in their International Basketball Federation (Fiba)-Asia Men’s Championship campaign this August in the Chinese city.

Fresh from a dominating sweep of the Southeast Asia Basketball Association (Seaba) Men’s Championship in Medan, Indonesia, Guiao said the tournament exposed the team’s weakness—and there’s an urgent need to address it.

“That’s a big concern, we were not able to shoot the ball well from the three-point region considering that we have the potential to do so,” Guiao said on Thursday.

“Our main target is between 30 to 40 percent, which I believe is doable,” he added.

The same observation was made by Chot Reyes, who handled another Philippine Basketball Association (PBA)-backed RP 5 in the 2007 Fiba-Asia qualifier for the Beijing Olympics in Tokushima, Japan.

Reyes’s All-Star selection handed the Nationals’ only loss in a five-game exhibition series last summer. The cerebral mentor said if this national team can hit their three-point shots, it will be a force to reckon with in Asia.

Guiao has less than two months to polish his wards’ three-point shooting skills and the coming Jones Cup tournament in July will be a good test for them.

“The Jones Cup is always a strong tournament. Walang mahina dito,” said Guiao.

“But if we can hit our target percentage shooting from the three-point area and run the breaks more, we will have a solid chance against our more formidable opponents,” he added.

Guiao was informed that the United States, which has won the Jones Cup tournament twice, is not sending a team. But a ball club from South Africa will participate in the Taipei event that would make the tournament as competitive as ever.

The Philippines twice ruled Jones Cup—first in 1985 when the Ron Jacobs-mentored RP 5 was beefed up by naturalized players Jeff Moore, Chip England and Dennis Still and in 1998 through Tim Cone’s Centennial squad.

Guiao hopes that Ryan Reyes and Jayjay Helterbrand will be available in the Jones Cup. Both guards are nursing pulled hamstrings. He, however, stressed anew that at the moment, replacing them on the team is remote.

“Minor lang naman ang injury nina Ryan and Jayjay so I guess changing the lineup won’t be a high priority at this stage,” said Guiao. “Sana at least isa sa kanila makalaro sa Jones Cup.”  

The Philippines qualified for the Fiba-Asia tournament set from August 6 to 16 in Tianjin where the top three teams will advance to the 2010 World Championship in Turkey.

Putting things in perspective

OVER dinner at the Marriott Hotel after the Nationals swept the Seaba tournament, Guiao put everything in perspective.

“The Seaba is a confidence builder,” he said. “The Jones Cup is the real test, and the Fiba-Asia is the real thing.”

Guiao said whatever lessons were learned in Medan will find application in the Jones Cup.

“We will bring all 14 players, plus Japeth [Aguilar] to Taipei and let them show us what they can do,” said Guiao. “The Jones Cup will be the basis for whoever shall make it to the final 12.”

Seaba finalists Philippines and Indonesia will represent the region to the Tianjin tournament.

The Nationals won all their assignments by an average of 38 points, dumping the host Indons, 98-68, in the final on Tuesday. But the difference in the quality of competition in the Seaba and the Jones Cup is about as huge as the RP team’s winning margin in Medan.

Instead of overmatched teams from Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand, Powerade-RP will be contending with tall, talented and extremely physical opponents from Iran, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Lebanon, South Africa and Chinese Taipei.

Iran nipped the Philippines,75-69, in the preliminary round of Tokushima 2007 edition.

Kazakhstan, on the other hand, blasted practically the same RP team, 107-90, in their battle for second place in the Jones Cup also in 2007, presenting yet another clear and present danger to the Nationals’ objective.

“That’s the reason I believe this tournament is the best training ground,” Guiao said. “We will be facing big, quick guys and that, I think, is our weakness. We have to incorporate some things in practice to address this problem.”

Practice resumes for the Nationals on June 15, a day before the scheduled drawing of lots for the Fiba-Asia groupings in Tianjin.

In Medan, the RP team dominated the opposition on sheer strength, size and conditioning, factors that will be reversed in its next two tournaments.

Against Singapore and Malaysia, the Nationals appeared to have some difficulty stopping their three-point shooters and in keeping up with their quick penetrators.

And in the championship against Indonesia, their own weakness from beyond the three-point arc and the free-throw line was further laid bare, as well as their defensive deficiencies.

“Ang problema natin, naglalaro tayo ng PBA where the system is more deliberate, unlike these guys who just go and go,” said Guiao.

“We’re not used to guarding these types of players who are quick on the dribble and drive hard to the basket every time. Good thing they were smaller. But what if they’re big and quick like the guys from Japan, China and Korea?”