SBP puts Gilas under microscope

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) will have a detailed evaluation of Gilas Pilipinas following its dismal campaign in the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya.

SBP executive director Erika Dy said they will review not only the results but also what needs to be done to better prepare Gilas for future international competitions.

After winning the gold medal in the Hangzhou edition of the Asian Games in 2023, Gilas failed to advance from the group stage after posting a 1-2 record, highlighted by a 61-105 rout at the hands of China.

“We really need to evaluate how we can assemble a strong team for the Asian Games, considering that the schedule doesn’t align with the FIBA calendar right now,” said Dy, who served as one of the deputy chiefs of mission of Team Philippines.

“Obviously, it’s truly disappointing. There’s no hiding that. But that’s sports, right?”

Gilas’ preparations were dealt an early blow when naturalized player Justin Brownlee, who starred in the Hangzhou gold-medal run, became unavailable because of hamstring and leg injuries.

The original roster was supposed to include Brownlee, Bennie Boatwright, Ange Kouame, June Mar Fajardo, C-Jay Perez, Scottie Thompson, Chris Newsome, Juan Gomez de Liaño, Carl Tamayo, Kevin Quiambao, Zavier Lucero, Robert Bolick and Adrian Nocum.

But Fajardo announced his retirement from Gilas duties after the fourth window of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers while Tamayo and Quiambao were not cleared to play outside the FIBA calendar.

Boatwright’s naturalization process was also delayed last June due to the absence of the Senate minority bloc, leaving only Nocum, Bolick and Lucero as cornerstones together with RJ Abarrientos, Justin Arana, Jerrick Ahanmisi, Justine Baltazar, Brandon Bates, Sedrick Barefield, Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser, Calvin Oftana and Don Trollano.

Dy admitted that Gilas’ disappointing showing could partly be attributed to circumstances, but stressed that the Asian Games cannot simply be overlooked.

Other Philippine basketball teams made deeper runs in Nagoya, with Gilas Women reaching the quarterfinals, the men’s 3x3 squad making the semifinals and the women’s 3x3 team winning silver.

“As Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Patrick Gregorio said, sometimes you just wake up on the wrong side of the bed — you don’t play well, yet it’s an important game. So, it was difficult,” Dy said.

“The Asian Games is important. We can’t just ignore it.”

For the SBP, the Nagoya setback now serves as a reminder of the challenges of building a competitive Gilas squad when the Asian Games calendar does not align with the FIBA schedule.