CHOT REYES rants about the short span of time to prepare for the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games and the International Basketball Federation (Fiba) Asia Cup both happening this month—and he is justified.
In a team game like basketball, jelling is not the main thing—it is the only thing, if not everything.
OK, the SEA Games should be a walk in the park for Chot’s Gilas boys. This is a tournament where Asia’s best are not entered. Thus, even our third-rate squad—third stringers, if you will—could easily stash away the crown.
But it’s a totally different ballgame altogether in the Fiba Asia Cup. Over there, Asia’s giants are present, like China, Iran and, yes, Korea also.
But on a given night, we could defeat Korea—at times even easily.
But China? Iran?
A tall order all of the time.
In the Asian Games alone, we could not go past China—and, occasionally, even Korea.
Did we not last win the Asiad basketball gold in 1962 yet?
The times, they are a-changin’.
In fairness, we’ve not stopped doing our best to redeem lost glory. Sadly, our efforts had fallen short—with insane regularity yet.
Even if we’ve resorted to naturalizing American giants (Marcus Douthit and Andray Blatche) to beef up our middle—still no luck.
And, alas, today, Douthit and Blatche are no more. These 7-footers play not for us anymore for reasons known only to them.
Surprised? Not me. Mercenaries will always be mercenaries. With the right fee, they act promptly.
Christian Standhardinger, the 6-foot-7 Filipino-German, has been tapped as replacement. Good luck to him.
Chot is trying to insert Jordan Clarkson, the Fil-American dunker now playing for the Los Angeles Lakers. Good luck, too, Chot.
With the inclusion of Standhardinger and Clarkson to Gilas, we might pull off some shockers in the Fiba Asia Cup.
But to win the crown there is a long shot by any stretch of imagination.
So, again, let’s be clear here.
For the umpteenth time, I say we’ll win again in the SEA Games, but not in the Fiba Asia Cup. Never.
On the Fiba Asia Cup forecast—I hope I am wrong.
THAT’S IT May I repeat what I had said in another column: It is Arben Santos who is Godfather from Day One of both SJ Belangel and Kai Sotto. Not MVP (Manuel V. Pangilinan) as MVP’s rah-rah boys persistently peddle in our basketball republic. Belangel is a find from Bacolod through Chris Javelosa. Belanger’s point-guard wizardry almost equals that of his basketball IQ. Already, he has earned accolades in his young career at Ateneo. Sotto, who is 6-foot-11 already although he is barely 15 years old, is highly touted as the next best thing to happen in Ateneo basketball. An Ateneo basketball supporter for the longest time, Arben has been spending a virtual fortune nurturing the careers of the duo—the way he did to such Ateneo stars like Villanueva, Alvarez, Fonacier and Tenorio, to name but a few. May your tribe increase, Arben.