In the most crucial part of their build-up for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, Gilas Pilipinas has figured in multiple tune-up matches in Estonia, Lithuania, and China.
However, fans have questioned the quality of the opposition the national team has been facing over the past three months.
During their European trip, Gilas faced the Team B squads of Estonia and Lithuania, as well as youth teams from Finland, Ukraine, and Lithuania.
Meanwhile, the Philippines’ senior team faced Iran’s Team B and a non-World Cup squad from Senegal in the 2023 Heyuan WUS International Basketball Tournament.
Of course, Gilas head coach and program director Chot Reyes wanted to face top-flight national teams, but it was not meant to be.
“We would have wanted to play against the other teams, we would have wanted to play the top teams in Europe now, but the reality is, it was hard to get the top-quality European teams because they don’t want to play against us,” he said on the For Love: The Podcast.
Initially, the official preparation games in China were supposed to have Iran’s top squad, Lebanon, and Angola.
“Well, we were approached about this tournament by Jericho Ilagan a couple of months ago, and originally, there were supposed to be four teams — Lebanon, Iran, Senegal, and there was an opportunity also to have Angola here and some other countries, but we did not want to do it because we did not want to play teams who are in our bracket,” bared Reyes.
“So it ended up with the four teams. However, at the last minute, Lebanon had to back off, so we ended up with just us, Iran, and Senegal here. Instead of playing each other once, we play each other twice. It was fine with me because we get four games.”
Lebanon and Iran ended up facing each other in a tune-up game in Zouk Mikael last July 26, with the Cedars winning 73-66.
The Cedars will also face Egypt and Mexico in the International Basketball Week friendlies in Abu Dhabi.
Iran, on the other hand, will compete in the City Hall Cup in Georgia against the home squad, Jordan, and Montenegro.
Still, Reyes is focusing on things he can control.
And the games in China will not only be crucial for the development of the team but also for the identification of the 11 players that will join Jordan Clarkson for the global meet, which begins on August 25.
“A couple of months back, we said that this will be a good penultimate phase in our preparation because, after this, we will go to our final stages, which will be a couple of tune-up games in Manila,” he said as Gilas takes on world No. 31 Mexico and No. 18 Montenegro in Manila.
“It’s crucial because that’s part of our build-up process. We wanted to play as many tune-up games as possible.”
