CHN - China playing the waiting game

MANILA (FIBA Asia Championship/FIBA Basketball World Cup) - You know a good coach is in charge when their team takes on their own persona.

Listening to Wang Shipeng after China's 70-51 loss to Iran on Day 3 of the FIBA Asia Championship, it was obvious the great Panagiotis Giannakis hasn't taken long to stamp his authority on the Asian powerhouse.

"I'm a player not a doctor, so I can't answer that," Wang said when asked about Yi Jianlian's absence from the much-anticipated clash.

After playing 30 minutes on opening night against Korea, Yi was rested for the lop-sided win over Malaysia, but many expected him to return for the replay of the 2009 Final.

But those expectations didn't factor in the influence of Giannakis, who for decades has lived through the tactical battles played early in events like the EuroBasket and FIBA World Championship.

"He had a little problem before we came here, and we want him healthy in the knockout games," Giannakis said frankly when asked about his star's absence.

It's not just the choice to rest Yi that shows a new attitude amongst the defending champions, Wang not at all ruffled by a 1-2 start to the tournament that would have been seen as disastrous in previous years.

"This is only the pool game," he said.

"Please give us more time to get used to the rhythm and the new situation."

Giannakis was similarly matter-of-fact about a game where his team coughed up 22 turnovers, gave up 16 offensive rebounds, dished out only nine assists, missed 14 of their 19 three-point attempts and shot just 50 per cent from the charity stripe.

"I think we have some bad moments tonight, we didn't have the experience to control it. We lost the rebounds by a lot, missed a lot of free-throws," he said.

After watching Iran execute their defensive game plan superbly and share the ball smartly on offense, Giannakis has a much clearer idea of the challenge China's major rival presents.

Just as importantly, he knows his team will be a completely different proposition later in the tournament - with Yi on board - when the tickets to next year's FIBA Basketball World Cup are on the line.

"It's difficult to play basketball with these difficulties, but I think we are going to be different (later in the tournament), I believe that," he said.

"We are waiting for another time to play them."

FIBA