Gilas Pilipinas head coach Chot Reyes holds the belief that the Philippines must strive to achieve their utmost potential to stand a chance against Group A competitors, including the Dominican Republic, in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.
While optimal performance doesn’t guarantee victory, Reyes emphasized that one thing Gilas can’t afford is to fall short of their best when up against the world’s premier basketball teams.
“That’s how we approach this game. We have to be the best that we can be and play our best game and even if we play our best it doesn’t really guarantee a win because that’s how strong the other team is,” said Reyes.
“The only thing sure is if we do not play our best, then we have no chance.”
With this in mind, Reyes called upon Filipino fans to rally behind the national team, stressing that Gilas will require all the support they can muster against the well-experienced squads in their group.
Gilas will open their campaign against the 23rd-ranked Dominican Republic on Friday at 8:00 p.m. (Philippine Arena), followed by a match against 41st-ranked Angola on Sunday at 8:00 p.m., and a face-off with 10th-ranked Italy on Wednesday, also at 8:00 p.m., both held at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“One thing is for sure. We will need the support and the prayers of the crowd. That’s very, very important. We have to be able to punch above our weight,” said Reyes.
“I think the crowd will be a big determining factor to be able to help us and I think the most important thing is for us to come in in a very calm, focused, intentional, yet aggressive mindset coming into the ball game. That’s really the best we could do,” he added.
At present, Reyes and the entire Gilas Pilipinas team are channeling their focus on elements within their control and are hoping their preparation proves sufficient to create upsets in the forthcoming World Cup.
“We’re just focusing on things that [are] within our control and we’re focusing on preparing, scouting Dominican as much as we can. We’re putting a lot of effort in perfecting our offense as well,” said the TNT head coach as Tim Cone even wait to Spain to scout the Dominicans.
“So those are the two things. Do we have the goods? Do we have the team? It’s hard to say eh. It’s hard to say. Of course I’m happy with what I have, it’s really hard to say do we have the goods, do we have the team that can compete against these guys until we see the actual game.”
